Broody duck

[Miss Lydia]

My runners are broody and successful too so when one starts and we don't want more at that time I remove them 2at a time or so as she goes to feed and drink this seems to work well without turning her into a basket case.............she can't count

 

[BlackberryAcres]

One of my ducks went broody too, except I was really excited.

Until of course I realized that the other duck has been laying eggs in the others nest everyday. I marked them all with a marker and have been taking out the new eggs, but I know that she started to sit when she only had 6 and now there are 18!

I thought what I would do is try and take the babies as they hatch and brood them myself but I imagine they may hatch one a day for awhile. Should I just try and candle the eggs and put them into an incubator? Has anyone had this happen to them? I have never had experience with hatching eggs and just wondered what other people might do.
I am sorry for hijacking the thread, but this seemed like a good place to ask.

This happened to us earlier this year. Eagle went broody and her sisters kept laying eggs in her nest. When I saw that she had 21, I took the 9 that looked the newest, and then put up barriers around her to keep her sisters from getting in to lay in her nest. Unfortunately, I came in one morning to find one snuggled in the nest with her anyway! At that point I just decided to give up and let her do her thing without any more interfering. At some point she stopped letting them lay in there, and I noticed she rolled out the ones that were getting rotten. I planned on taking whatever eggs didn't hatch immediately and putting them in the incubator when she got off of her nest once the earliest babies hatched. She had other plans. She hatched out one on Good Friday but stayed firmly on her nest, another one a little more than a week later, and two more a little more than a week after that! They are a very happy family.

 

[BlackberryAcres]

I am new to keeping ducks, and have three Cayuga females which started laying the week before Easter this year. Ordinarily they all lay at the same time in the same spot in the duck house or pen, plop that egg and then keep quacking until I let them out. But one has always taken to making nests by herself here and there around their pen. She went broody first, then today I saw them all three piled into one nest box on top of the three eggs. That's the comical stuff about ducks that I like...Hoping this is not too terrible a breach of duck etiquette, I very gently reach in to get them to stand up (they hate being touched) and then I carefully take the eggs (and thank them). Then they go outside and resume rifling around the yard as usual. They do seem in a groggy or dreamy state when they are sitting, that's why I am very quiet and gentle with them to get them off the nest. This doesn't stop them from laying, but sometimes the nesty one will wait until I let them out to go find a "secret" place to lay.

My Cayugas have done that when they're thinking about being broody but haven't gotten serious yet. When they're serious they do this beak flapping thing and a broody quack, spread their tail feathers and puff themselves up really big, growl, and bite. My broody Cayugas would never let me get close enough to stick a hand under them! They will also not get off the nest and walk around for the rest of the day if they're serious. They'll get off for a bath and to poop and run around quickly, but they'll get right back on the nest. So don't worry about taking their eggs, they'll let you know when it's absolutely not okay. And then you'll probably need some thick long gloves if you want to try and take them!

 

[summer9498]

My pekin duck has gone broody. She shares a coop with other ducks and chickens. She originally had a clutch of 6 eggs and started to sit 10 days ago. Gradually one by one things have happened to the eggs. I was blaming the chickens. Last night we separated her off via a temporary wall. She was down to only 2 remaining eggs. Not all the eggs she laid were fertile but these last 2 def were. I could even see the heart beat of the one when candling. I am so bummed, I just went out and she has rolled one of the last 2 eggs out and it was cracked. She is the only one that had access to the nest. Why would she do this? The chances of the last egg surviving I feel like are slim to none at this point :'(

 

[Mequita]

Hello there,
I'm in the same situation as Sophie. I have a 2 female Mascovi and one male. One of my females have been laying on her eggs for 3 weeks. I've been letting her do this because she is desperate to become a mother so she will have the chance for this time. I cannot keep having baby ducks since I don't have the space.
Anyways, I want to know if I should check the eggs or just let her do her thing without interfering. I don't know how many eggs she has because she gets very upset when I try to move her or even open the door of her coop.
I think she comes out at night to eat. I saw her once. Today I put some food next to her nesting bed because I'm worry that she will get sick.

Is there anything I should be doing to help her? When I will see the babies? Can I touch them?
Any advice would be appreciated.
Thank you