Broody Call will the hatch be staggered??

[Feathered Wings]

I have a white call sitting on 8 eggs they have already been candled and all very developing nicely.
She has been sitting steady and by my guess of calculations her first should hatch next wednesday at 26 days.

Here is my question and what may be a problem she began setting after the first 2 eggs and was still laying.
She laid 9 and only one was infertile when i candled them at 10 days.

Will this be a staggered hatch if my calculations are right the last egg won't hatch till 6 days after the first 2 ?

Of course i didn't observe her all day and night during the first few days she sat so she could have been on and off.

I'm very nervous about this i have had tons of broody chickens but never a duck.

What should i do if this hatch begins to drag how long can the ducklings stay in the nest?
Should i remove them and give them back when they all hatch?

Do they take as long to hatch under a broody as they do in and incu ?

Should i remove the male when they hatch?

What is the best way to give them their first food and water?

Any help anyone can give me on this will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Dances with Ducks]

I had the same worry about a staggered hatch when my runner went broody and it worked out fine. The eleven eggs started hatching on Tuesday evening and finished Thursday morning. The hen never left the nest during that period.

I don't know much about Calls but I removed my hen and her ducklings into a different pen with a duckhouse I had set up for them. Momma duck pitched a fit while I picked up her babies but they settled in the new pen OK.
I gave them water and feed from those chick waterer and feeders you can find at feed and ranch stores. Momma duck was able to get her water and food from this OK for the first few days, but you could set up a bucket up high on a block so the ducklings couldn't get into it.

 

[Feathered Wings]

Thanks i have worried and worried about the first ones dying before the others hatched.
Good info on the food and water too Thanks so much and my mind has been put at ease.

This is my first hatch of calls and i have just been on pins and needles about it.
I been like this ever since she started laying and setting just a bundle of nerves

 

[Scott]

Normally, the hen will lay several eggs (a clutch) before she begins sitting. Therefore, the eggs should ideally hatch at about the same time... at least within a day or two of one another. If, however, the hen began sitting on the first eggs without interruption and then laid more eggs days later the hatch will be spaced apart. This is fairly unlikely though, as hens don't lay eggs once they go broody (i.e. start to sit on eggs).

Duck eggs take 28 days to hatch.... whether in the incubator or under a hen. However, I read in a few places that call duck eggs hatch on the 26th/27th day. I had a broody chicken sit on 6 call duck eggs. One of the eggs hatched on the 26th day, and the other four hatched the following day. So, there is sometimes a day or two between hatches.

As for removing the drake, I don't know. My call ducks are only a month or so old now... they have not starting laying yet... still ducklings. So I haven't crossed that bridge yet.

I feed mine unmedicated chick starter. I will eventually put them on layer crumbles. During the winter, I feed my chickens i blend of chicken feed and cracked corn. The corn helps them put on weight and produce more heat during the winter. I may feed the ducks the same during winter or possibly feed them a mix of chicken feed and wheat. I have heard that same people feed their call ducks game bird feed. It's more expensive. Personally, I plan to stick with chick starter for my ducklings and layer crumbles once they are grown.

Good luck with your call duck eggs. I hope you have a good hatch rate. I know I've really enjoyed my calls since they hatched.

 

[Feathered Wings]

Thank you Scott I'm really looking forward to this hatch and i hope it go's according to plan.
I really don't know if she sat in the early part of her laying but it did seem everytime i went to feed them she was on the nest.
So i can't really say when she started sitting steady full time.

I counted up 26 days from when she laid her last egg and thats next wednesday Aug. 19.
I'm going to keep a close watch on her starting this weekend to make sure i know when they hatch.

I was thrilled she has set as long as she has i had heard Calls will sometimes get off the nest middle way through the brooding time.
I also heard that all the eggs rarely hatch so i will have to just wait and see about that.

Good luck with your calls i love mine they have such bubbly personality's.
They become very attached and mine will quack loudly when they hear me coming to feed them.
I love watching mine swim and play in the water they remind me of toddlers
splashing about

Thanks again for the info