broody runner and stolen/eaten eggs

[lindisfarne]

Hi there,
We were looking for some advice about what could have been happening with our duck eggs...Our runner, Chilli, went broody a few weeks back and we gave her 6 eggs to sit on, about 10 days ago we found 1 half broken shell near her water and we feared rats might have got it. Then a week after that we found another egg a bit further away, cracked and empty...today we found another egg IN the water with a fully formed duckling in it! After the second egg, we read a little and suspected it could be a duck or chicken as well as a rat, so blocked off her quarters...but then still found an egg today.
So...our question is...is it rats? and why didn't they eat the duckling in the egg today...it isn't the other birds so is it the mother?
The good news is we have checked on her and there are at least TWO ducklings hatched today!!!!!!!!!

We're just a bit worried if it is rats or the mother what shall we do?? (we have been putting extra poison away from the birds)
Thanks for your help!

 

[Amiga]

I would get her into something the rats cannot get into, using half inch metal hardware cloth. Build a little mini-pen for her.

 

[lindisfarne]

Thanks for your help

we made her as secure as possible and was going well until today when she decided to abandon the 2 chicks and wouldn't let them back in....we gave them to her but she kept them out the nest unfortunately. We took them in and have them in a brooder and they seem happy now. Will post some pics soon...

 

[SJUDD]

I had one of my ducks sitting on eggs until they started wiggling under her... I am guessing that freaked her out and she started shredding the eggs and leaving the babies to die. I finally figured out it was her doing it and put the rest of her eggs in an incubator. She just wasn't ready to be a mom yet

 

[lindisfarne]

Yeah, I think its the same for ours too...even though there are are few rats about, we're suspecting it was her damaging the eggs more...
the 2 babies we took in are doing great, a little bit more nervous than incubator hatched but very cute