Broody muscovy?

[KatsHerd]

I'm fairly new-ish to ducks. We currently have 6 muscovies, one of my older laying hens is potentially broody? It's extremely obvious with chickens but not as obvious for these guys.
She first made a nest about 1.5 months ago. She was sitting on 2 eggs. Those eggs never grew at all, they were fertilised as we checked once we took them. She's now made a new nest (we got some flash flooding, so do excuse how foul things are, her old nest got flooded). She's now sitting on 1 egg, but she honestly SUCKS at sitting on them. She will leave them constantly & for quite long periods to eat & drink & go for a swim. They also aren't super human friendly & she will leave them anytime I come in.
Likely why they are failing to grow. Should I attempt to break the broodiness since I don't believe she'll actually be successful? What would you do?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Doesn't sound fully broody yet. Generally when they start to set to hatch you need a crowbar to pry them off the nest.

Is she making a high pitch squeak noise and looking puffed up? They are similar to chickens in that way, so I can always tell when mine want to be broody.

No need to break her just remove the eggs if you don't want her setting. She will start again somewhere else.

 

[Shadrach]

As oldhenlikesdogs mentions Muscovy hens in my experience don't do a bit broody. They're either sitting or they're not.

 

[KatsHerd]

Doesn't sound fully broody yet. Generally when they start to set to hatch you need a crowbar to pry them off the nest.

Is she making a high pitch squeak noise and looking puffed up? They are similar to chickens in that way, so I can always tell when mine want to be broody.

No need to break her just remove the eggs if you don't want her setting. She will start again somewhere else.

Thank you! That's extremely helpful. No squeaking & no puffing up. Sounds like she isn't broody then! I was trying to do research but knowing they do the same puffed up noisy thing as chickens helps immensely

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Thank you! That's extremely helpful. No squeaking & no puffing up. Sounds like she isn't broody then! I was trying to do research but knowing they do the same puffed up noisy thing as chickens helps immensely

It's squeaking though, not growling like chickens. My girl also is very mouthy and likes to nibble, but she's always been like that.

 

[KatsHerd]

It's squeaking though, not growling like chickens. My girl also is very mouthy and likes to nibble, but she's always been like that.
View attachment 3920081

She is precious. I was hopeful my girl WAS going broody, I'm getting a bit clucky for more ducklings but all my inside equipment is taken up . Ah well, maybe soon!!

 

[fowltemptress]

I had the same confusion with my muscovies when I first got them! But once they really go broody, it's pretty obvious. Here's a video of one of my broody girls so you can hear what it sounds like:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/gallery/20240311_143726-mp4.7965530/

 

[JacinLarkwell]

She is precious. I was hopeful my girl WAS going broody, I'm getting a bit clucky for more ducklings but all my inside equipment is taken up . Ah well, maybe soon!!

I have one that decided tonight after 2 weeks that she isn't going to actually broody the nest she had been building

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I had the same confusion with my muscovies when I first got them! But once they really go broody, it's pretty obvious. Here's a video of one of my broody girls so you can hear what it sounds like:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/gallery/20240311_143726-mp4.7965530/

Thank you for posting that. That's the sound.