Broody Call Duck....Lots of Questions!

[Huny]

Are Ducks like Chickens when they go broody? Do they sit all the time? I keep waiting for my gal to sit still on her nest, she has 7 or 8 eggs (last I counted was 7, my daughter just told me there are 8 though). I just want to make sure when to start "counting" days for chicks.

And with Call Ducks, how long is incubation? I know some said it was shorter than the 28 days of full sized ducks.

This is our first time with call ducks and this pair I hope has some "magic" going on. Do you candle these eggs sneak out and try to sneak it out from under them? I would worry about the momma abandoning them.

Also, I have a deep water tray in their pen. Do I want to take that out and do a shallow one in case of drowning? I wanted to build a whole new pen but they started this nest and I don't want them to abandon them. Anyone ever move a nest on a gal and she keep at it?

Thanks all you ducky experts!

 

[BantyHugger]

I do not have Calls but my pekins do regularly go broody. Once she starts, She will be on it all the time. My hens seem to take an hour or so off to eat and bathe. The easiest time to candle and count is during these "lunch break". She'll probably get mad because your fingering HER eggs so most likely its will just be counting. If you can just slip eggs in and out you might as well be Houdini. My mamas always hiss, bite, and twist if i try it.
You might want to build a little pen or Isolation unit (also usable for sick birds) for her while you wait. Don't try moving her while she is setting though. Some hens will get mad and abandon nests if you visit them too much, much less move them. The pen would be to protect her and the babies after they hatch. We keep ours in there for about a week so that they are nice and strong before we let them free range again. Also it keeps them safe from any predators at night.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Is she a first time setter? Sometimes first time setters will abandon the nests 2/3 of the way in.

She will sit like a chicken. You will also see her start to pull out her down and put it into her nest.

Call ducks hatch on day 26.

 

[feathersgalore]

Last year, one of my female calls was very broody. Everytime we took her ducklings, she would start laying again within a couple weeks. The last time (in August) she was scheduled to be by daughters 4-H project. At the time she was sitting on eggs. I took the eggs put them in the incubator and off we went to the show. Later that evening, we returned, I put the eggs back into her nest and she went back onto them. She hatched 7 out of 8 eggs. Of course her first breeding season, this same duck quit sitting at day 20 and we didn't get a single duckling from her. I quess you never know for sure.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
Older call duck hens are generally better at sitting on eggs. Although I did have a white call hen set last year. I put 1 week old incubated call eggs under her, and she hatched them out, a 100% hatch.

 

[Huny]

When I bought this pair, I thought the dad said they were 9 months (in November) When I took them to a show, the same family I bought them from the son said they were a couple of years old. So I don't know if they are young or old. She laid another egg (we're to 9) so as long as she's adding to her clutch I"m not worried. She is starting to set full time. I think she just wasn't ready to be sitting, and giving up egg laying yet.

I am going to put some boards around her. She is close to the side of the pen my toddler can come up next to and he keeps wanting to see her. So I don't want her to abandon this at all!

If today counts as day one, we should be getting some Easter Ducklings right?

 

[Katy]

Probably good Friday...mine usually start on day 26.