Broody duck trouble! Please help!

[GiantPekin4]

I have a broody duck who was doing great, sitting on her nest all the time, and had at least 18 eggs, and now, days or possibly hours away from when the eggs were due to hatch, all her eggs have disappeared!!! The other ducks in the pen were Giant Pekins, Welsh Harlequins, and Welsh Variagated. Varriagated. However you spell it. She herself was one of the two welsh breeds, and dark brown. We had a giant blacksnake a couple weeks ago, but it was caught and released on the other side of a large pond. IN THE WOODS. I'm extremely confused. The current theory with my family is rats, but I don't know where they would be.

 

[needlessjunk]

Is she missing? Ducks are known to move their nests.

 

[GiantPekin4]

No, I think she may still be on the nest, and now a pekin is acting like she wants to start.

 

[needlessjunk]

No, I think she may still be on the nest, and now a pekin is acting like she wants to start.

So you found the eggs and she is back to sitting on them? 18 eggs is a lot to try to keep warm so I don't know how great of a hatch she will have. Also you may want to keep her away from the other ducks. Sometimes other ducks and drakes can purposely or unintentionally kill ducklings. I like to play it safe and keep them away.

 

[GiantPekin4]

So you found the eggs and she is back to sitting on them? 18 eggs is a lot to try to keep warm so I don't know how great of a hatch she will have. Also you may want to keep her away from the other ducks. Sometimes other ducks and drakes can purposely or unintentionally kill ducklings. I like to play it safe and keep them away.

No, I haven't found the eggs. They're just gone with no explanation and she's either wandering around the pen or sitting on an empty nest! I'm so confused! poor ducky. It's been really hot and humid lately, does that have anything to do with it?

 

[GiantPekin4]

Ok wait, update, there are actually still two eggs left on the nest, and she's still on them, it's just that 16 or more have disappeared with no explanation.