Broody Runner

[mangled]

Is such a thing possible? She's been in the nestbox most of the last two days. She's been out for the morning turn out and she's come out for the evening scratch throw down, but other than that, in the nestbox she's been.

When I mentioned it to my guy at the feedstore, he said he'd never heard of such a thing.

What are your experiences with runners going broody? I sure hope she's not turned ill. She's my favorite.

Thanks-
Em

 

[TLWR]

Blue went broody for a while, but never sat for more than a day at a time though. I could easily dissuade her and remove the eggs (none were fertile anyway)

Cadbury gave it a try for a day too

 

[mangled]

She's really into it. I had to fight to get today's eggs from under her. Good heavens.

She actually bit me.

Hard!! Lol.

Blessings-
Em

Edited to add: your ducks are gorgeous. Cadbury is a great name!

 

[duckyfromoz]

I have had a Runner set and hatch ducklings. I do as a rule collect eggs daily but last year I did leave some nests as I had more eggs I could incubate. She didnt raise the duckligns though- as they were hatchign over Christmas when I wasnt home much to watch out for them so it was just easier to raise the ducklings myself.

Hope she continues that way- and will amnage to hatch out the babies for you. Seeing a mom on the nest with babies poking out from between the feathers is gorgeous.

 

[AustinM741]

My female runner hatched two little ducklings last Saturday. Something happened to one of their legs, and he died yesterday.

The one that's left though is doing great. She's a great mom.

 

[mangled]

Well, I finally let her keep some eggs and she's doing well. I have her separated into an unused rabbit hutch so she doesn't keep adding eggs to her brood. She has 14 eggs all crowded around her when we finally fought her out of the nestbox.

She's 14 days in, so we've got a couple weeks left. I don't think I'll let her raise them, as she's very flighty and not real people friendly.

I'm hoping she hatches these out. I could use more ducklings.

Blessings-
Em

 

[Amiga]

I have three who get fairly broody. We have no drakes, so there's no point in letting them sit. But if we ever do get a drake, I may let them give it a go.

Sepp Holzer, and Austrian farmer, writes that he has bred his runners that go broody and now has a flock with good runner mother ducks and lets them do all the brooding, with reduces his workload a little.

 

[lorihadams]

Both my girls went broody last year and one hatched out 8 and the other hatched out 7. I also had a light brahma that went broody and since we have no rooster I loaded her up with duck eggs and she hatched out 15. We had lots of babies last year

 

[animalpro24]

Quote:
That's cute!