Back again with another silly broody question! 🫣

[KatsHerd]

Alright so, last time I posted I thought my muscovy was broody. She definitely wasn't, and still isn't. However I'd like some insight on the behaviours to people that have had ducks longer than I.

She has been collecting eggs since roughly the 10th of August. That's almost a whole month. She is currently sitting on 12 eggs (I was removing them to start with, I let her keep all the eggs from around the 20th maybe of August). She sits on the eggs most of the day & night. She will leave them for food, water, to swim etc. She will also leave them if someone goes in the pen. She definitely isn't broody, however she's continued making nests, sitting on the eggs, and she has recently managed to talk another hen & my younger drake into sitting on the nests with her...?
I haven't candled these eggs under the right conditions but I haven't seen much growth, again they aren't being sat on 24/7 though.
Is she just collecting for the fun of it? Is she trying to collect a certain amount before she goes broody?
Thank you!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

If she isn't laying any more eggs, she is broody.

 

[KatsHerd]

If she isn't laying any more eggs, she is broody.

Her 12th was laid about 5 days ago. It's hard to say, she isn't a prolific layer & had only just begun after a hiatus. I'll see what happens!

 

[BelovedBirds]

Alright so, last time I posted I thought my muscovy was broody. She definitely wasn't, and still isn't. However I'd like some insight on the behaviours to people that have had ducks longer than I.

She has been collecting eggs since roughly the 10th of August. That's almost a whole month. She is currently sitting on 12 eggs (I was removing them to start with, I let her keep all the eggs from around the 20th maybe of August). She sits on the eggs most of the day & night. She will leave them for food, water, to swim etc. She will also leave them if someone goes in the pen. She definitely isn't broody, however she's continued making nests, sitting on the eggs, and she has recently managed to talk another hen & my younger drake into sitting on the nests with her...?
I haven't candled these eggs under the right conditions but I haven't seen much growth, again they aren't being sat on 24/7 though.
Is she just collecting for the fun of it? Is she trying to collect a certain amount before she goes broody?
Thank you!

She sounds broody, she will keep leaving them for food water and a quick swim now and then and the eggs will be fine as long as she doesn't allow them to get cold for too long. If she is sitting for most of the day with just little breaks, she's broody and the eggs are likely starting to develop.
Hens will never sit 24/7, they need to get up to poop, eat drink etc

I'm not a broody expert by any stretch of the imagination, my only experience is when my girl gets broody on unfertilised eggs, so I'm mostly repeating what I've heard from others and what I have witnessed.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

My point is if she is sitting full time even with the brief daily hiatus for food, water, defecation, quick swim, stretch, etc. and no longer contributing new eggs, she is broody. It has been warm enough most places that a clutch in a well-built nest will stay warm enough (internal egg temp) to maintain embryo growth. The size of a clutch is an individual bird thing. Where are you located?
To prevent a staggered hatch, birds will continue to lay yet cease upon sitting full time. They will come off the nest when disturbed.

 

[KatsHerd]

My point is if she is sitting full time even with the brief daily hiatus for food, water, defecation, quick swim, stretch, etc. and no longer contributing new eggs, she is broody. It has been warm enough most places that a clutch in a well-built nest will stay warm enough (internal egg temp) to maintain embryo growth. The size of a clutch is an individual bird thing. Where are you located?
To prevent a staggered hatch, birds will continue to lay yet cease upon sitting full time. They will come off the nest when disturbed.

Thank you!
I'm in QLD Australia, it is quite warm here already.
I only have experience with broody chickens, and they (or at least my hens) don't leave the nest for anything. They drop considerable weight & I always have to put food & water straight up near the bird. The do leave occasionally to defecate & I am sure they would leave for food & water occasionally too, but just not as much as I see my muscovy hen doing. They're also impossible to get off their eggs .
I managed to candle some of her eggs last night & did actually notice early growth in a few of the eggs, I'd guess about 4-6 days. So it does sound right that she laid that 12th egg & has sat properly since (especially with the help of the other hen & my young drake).