Broody Pekin

[Eric Rosario]

hello,
I would like to ask about broody pekin ducks as our ducks were trying to go broody several times this year (they are one year old) they usually layed their eggs outside in mud, or to grass sometimes to the nest in their house. They built several nests in barn, under the stairs in bushes etc. and were sitting on the nest but as we collected all the eggs they made a new nest elswhere when we put artificial eggs to keep them laying to the same nest they started to go broody.

now we have a small issue that one of two remaining ducks are broody, hissing in the nest but she is sitting only on artificial eggs that should attact them to the nest to lay eggs there. I've removed 4 from 6 two days ago she was sitting still, today i'v removed the remaining two too as we would like to stop her to be broody as season is nearly over and we have enough ducks already and they should only lay eggs but not going broody again.

any tips how to stop broodyness at ducks as i suppose it is exhausting for her and i dont want to let her suffer when nothing gonna hatch? I know broody hen are usually bathed in cold water to stop but that should have effect on ducks.
i hope they will go broody next year much sooner as they will be much more mature and could hatch and raise ducklings.
thx

 

[Miss Lydia]

About all you can do is destroy the nest and place something over it so she doesn’t go back. It will take a while for the hormones to recede but it’s a start.

 

[Eric Rosario]

she will find a new place to lay eggs somewhere outside that's the problem but we went through this before.
as the start i've found information on the web that broody pekin is rare but can happen and it seems our are broody, will they go broody sooner next year let's say in march or april?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hard to say. But good possibility since they’ll be more mature. I am having 4 Bantam hens I am breaking of being broody but it’s not easy since the other hens have to use the nest boxes. So I go in every evening get them out close the door then in the morning they go right back in. This has been going on all summer. Breaking a broody isn’t easy. If they make a new nest somewhere else just pick up the eggs and remove any nesting material. Your right Pekins aren’t known for being broody sounds like you hit the jack pot. lol

 

[Eric Rosario]

seems she gave up for now, the shape of the nest was destroyed by her possibly i made it whole again and put back one egg so maybe she or the other ducks could return there and lay new eggs without going broody.
you know, you allways have broody chicken, ducks when it is not needed but when you would like to have one, none of 'em is.

 

[Miss Lydia]

You got that right! Hopefully next spring your ladies will be ready.