Breaking broodiness without discouraging later use of nest

[MS_pond]

Hi all,

I have a young Muscovy hen who hatched this spring, and she's shaping out to be the broodiest duck I've ever had! She and her broodmate started laying in November (which I expect to taper off for winter). I'm super happy they're using the shelves I installed in the duck house, which are out of reach of the drakes, and collect eggs daily. There are two fake eggs in the main nest they lay in. The problem is that the broody hen decided to start sitting on the two fake eggs full-time. (The odd part is that she's still laying, so I'm thinking/hoping this is just a surge of hormones that will subside on their own.)

I know it isn't good for her to be broody for long and I'd like her to raise some ducklings this spring, in one of the nests in the duck house.

I'm wary about willy-nilly breaking up the nest and removing the eggs, though. As I said I'd like her to use one of the nests for ducklings in the spring and if she decides the duck house isn't safe, she may instead make her nest somewhere out on our large, unsecured property which they have free reign of during the day. Last time this happened with a different broody hen, that's exactly what happened.

Any advice is welcome. Thank you.

 

[nuthatched]

Do you have a dog kennel?

 

[MS_pond]

Do you have a dog kennel?

Yes, why?

 

[nuthatched]

Yes, why?

You can stick her in it, put it up on bricks so she can cool off for a few days. No bedding, only food and water

 

[MS_pond]

You can stick her in it, put it up on bricks so she can cool off for a few days. No bedding, only food and water

And leave the original nest intact so that she and the others can continue to lay (but hopefully not brood) in it after?

 

[nuthatched]

And leave the original nest intact so that she and the others can continue to lay (but hopefully not brood) in it after?

Remove any eggs, real or fake. But yes.