Broody duck question

[Lrosell31]

My duck lays eggs but doesn’t get broody until there’s a lot of eggs. Last month I let her have her eggs and I guess they were all bad none hatched. My son wants to try it again. I put a date on the eggs also. But my question is it normal for ducks not to get broody until they have a bunch of eggs? Oh and by the way one of my chickens has been sitting on the duck eggs off and on all day. It doesn’t bother my duck. It’s pretty warm high 80’s so the eggs aren’t cold. So far I have three. Are those eggs going to go bad not being sat on?

 

[Lil Drake40]

Highs 80’s and the eggs are freezing cold?

 

[Lrosell31]

Highs 80’s and the eggs are freezing cold?

I meant aren’t freezing cold. Sorry.

 

[Lrosell31]

Highs 80’s and the eggs are freezing cold?

Sorry didn’t proof read.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

A duck becomes broody due to hormones. Here is a site that lists the signs of a broody duck. A pile of eggs is just a pile that wasn't collected - that's probably why your first clutch went bad.
https://saltinmycoffee.com/2018/04/signs-of-a-broody-duck/

 

[Lrosell31]

Well my chicken decided to take over sitting on my ducks eggs. At least one of my birds are sitting on them. Hahahaha

 

[lomine]

Some duck and chicken hens will go broody at the drop of a hat. They will sit on one egg, 10 eggs, a golf ball, or nothing at all if they are truly broody. Some will be a little broody and will sit but if pushed off with abandon the nest with little fight. It depends on the bird and her hormones.

There could be a lot of reasons the first clutch didn't hatch. In my area it's really hard to hatch eggs (high altitude) so my broody chickens have a hard time hatching even though they sit pretty well. If you want to try again I suggest checking the eggs to make sure they are developing properly. If they don't develop at all then you may have a fertility problem. If they develop and quit if could be from the hen not sitting properly, maybe a nutritional issue, heat or humility issue.

 

[PirateGirl]

Yes. It is normal for them not to sit on the eggs until they have what they think is "enough" eggs. If you want her to hatch 10 eggs for example you might have to let her gather whatever number she thinks is enough (maybe 20 eggs) and once she actually starts sitting, remove and dispose of the extra eggs. She should hopefully keep sitting once she starts.

 

[Lrosell31]

Yes. It is normal for them not to sit on the eggs until they have what they think is "enough" eggs. If you want her to hatch 10 eggs for example you might have to let her gather whatever number she thinks is enough (maybe 20 eggs) and once she actually starts sitting, remove and dispose of the extra eggs. She should hopefully keep sitting once she starts.

Last time she didn’t start sitting on them until she layed seven eggs. But none of them hatched. They were bad eggs. I got a better flashlight so I will candle them to see if there’s any veins this weekend. Right now my chicken decided she is going to sit on the eggs for a while. Hahahaha

 

[WVduckchick]

Yes. It is normal for them not to sit on the eggs until they have what they think is "enough" eggs. If you want her to hatch 10 eggs for example you might have to let her gather whatever number she thinks is enough (maybe 20 eggs) and once she actually starts sitting, remove and dispose of the extra eggs. She should hopefully keep sitting once she starts.

x2!
Chickens usually start sitting right away, but a duck builds a nest, then commits to sitting. They will sit gradually more time each day. Once they start spending the night sitting on them, I know they are committed.

@Lrosell31 the duck may decide she want her eggs back from the hen. Might be time to devise a plan or have more prepared for the chicken. Or the other thing I would expect, is the duck may start building a nest somewhere else.