Advice please! Should I move Muscovy hens nest?

Muscovy-palooza

Songster
Oct 17, 2018
197
441
182
East Tennessee
I have a muscovy that has been nesting in a box that is elevated 2' off the ground. Two of the three eggs have hatched. I am afraid that the two are going to get curious and active and fall out of the nest and get hurt or not be able to get back to their momma. I think they hatched yesterday or the day before. There is one egg left and no signs of it beginning to hatch last I checked. Should I move them now or wait? Or put the babies in a broader until the other egg hatches? I already have a 2 week old duckling i am nursing so they could be together.
This happened before and the momma stayed on bad eggs while her babies went exploring. I had to intervene that time as well. I feel like no matter what she will not leave that egg.
 
can you candle the egg to see if it is viable? If it is I would wait. (I have chickens not ducks thought) If not viable I would remove it and I don't know about ducks but my broody hen took the babies out after a few days and they jumped back up into the nest with her using the feeder for help because mama picked one of the top nesting boxes to set in at night with them. Good luck
 
I'd go ahead and move her and the ducklings to a better place just move some of the nesting material and candle the egg before you give it back to her. Fix the nest box so she can't get back into it. Unless you can take nest box and mama and ducklings and put the whole thing on the floor.
 
You should probably move the mama and her ducklings to a brooder and candle the egg to see if it's still viable. If it's been that long since the other 2 ducklings hatched, there is probably a good chance that other egg won't hatch (if it's not at least pipped yet). Make sure she can't get back to her nest once you move her.
 

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