CAYUGA ducks information please :-D

[ARTic]

I have 3 drakes and 3 females which are all laying. Will the females hatch fertile eggs in winter? One nest has 15 eggs in it now. How long can duck eggs sit in a nest before they are no longer able to be hatched?
I am going to sell the smallest drake but was wondering which of the other two drakes should I sell?...

The one with a greenish beak or the one who is the biggest??
Elva (white) has decided to share Edna's chicken bed who has gone cluck, so I have put 13 fertile CAYUGA eggs under them. They have been sitting on the eggs for 14 days now, which means baby ducks in another 14 days...I'm so excited :-D. ;-)
We all live in Hamilton New Zealand.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I would keep the drake that is the best with the hens. Mine never sat eggs in winter but in early spring it was a different story. They sat very well in early spring.

You are mid winter right now if I am correct? If so give her some time to decide to sit the eggs. It could be another 2 months. I would say to keep taking the eggs until she is actually showing signs that she is broody. You will know as she will stay on the nest and the drake will get protective. You have 3 hens so they will add to the nest as well even after she is broody. I would mark the eggs so you know which ones are to be left in the nest for hatching once she sets.

 

[ARTic]

Hi and thank you for the advice. I'd like to know how long eggs are still fertile if they haven't been sat on and heated up? Do they become uneed fertile after a certain time period?

 

[21hens-incharge]

I believe that duck eggs are fertile for a while as the hen will not set until she has laid all her eggs for that batch. This can be a week or more depending on breed and how many they usually have in a clutch.

I have been doing a bit of reading as your original post has me interested.

If you do not need them for cooking then I would say to go ahead and leave some in the nest to see if she starts to set them. Once she has set on the nest for a few days incubation has begun and they should hatch in about 28 to 30 days.

Of course you will want to mark the ones you are leaving in the nest so you can gather ones not destined to hatch. That way you do not end up with a hen trying to set to many and none actually getting to hatch.

Hopefully more people with more experience will chime in.

 

[Welshies]

Okay- I will answer your original post and additional questions.
Females don't usually hatch eggs in winter, but if the weather is warm and that is when they were born, they might sit. You can also candle the eggs and incubate the fertile ones yourself. In spring and summer, Cayugas are often very dependable mothers and hatch their own. They take time to build up a nest though, and then start sitting after they are satisfied there are enough eggs. *If your hen can't cover all the eggs with her body, when she leaves for a drink or snack or bath, remove the dirtiest and infertile ones so she can cover them all completely.
And you should let her sit the full term (26-32 days from the time ALL the eggs were finally laid) After 32 days, remove the eggs as they are infertile. Throughout her term, whenever she leaves the nest (she should do so daily for food, water, and a bath), remove any rotten or smelly eggs. (Try not to disturb them too much, only do this the first and third week, and maybe the fourth).

As for selling the drakes, it's up to you. If they are both friendly and good, and healthy, you should pick the most colorful if you want good sale on your extra ducklings. If yu are more interested in dual purpose or meat, pick the bigger one. And if one is unhealthy, aggressive, high strung, get rid of it for sure.

And duck eggs can be kept for eating up to 2 or 3 months (if refridgerated) and still be good. Fertile eggs (if not smelly) are good for 10-20 days, rarely 30 (I'd assume) when left outside. HOWEVER, if you "store" the eggs at the right humidity and temperature for a week before incubating them (typically artificially in this case) it improves the hatch rate, and they can be kept up to 4 weeks after.

 

[addarr]

I need some input please
My poor Cyuga has been sitting for well over a month like a dutiful momma she babies and protects her nest only comes off once a day to eat potty and bath. Will hiss at anyone that comes to close. I candled her eggs about 2-3 weeks ago and they were about 20 to 25 days ish.
I finally took the chance and candled again yesterday and there has been absolutely no progress. One egg is missing I assumed that the one that was rolled away and consumed was for another ducks nest. I was wrong.
Either way she has not abandoned the nest or rolled any more away and won't come off but still once a day. I am not sure how to proceed the poor thing tried so hard.
1) what could have happened so far along? Could it have been the outside heat?
2) how to help her moving forward? Take them and remove her nest? Let her figure it out?
She is only a little over a year old this season her first try at it.

 

[ARTic]

Okay- I will answer your original post and additional questions.
Females don't usually hatch eggs in winter, but if the weather is warm and that is when they were born, they might sit. You can also candle the eggs and incubate the fertile ones yourself. In spring and summer, Cayugas are often very dependable mothers and hatch their own. They take time to build up a nest though, and then start sitting after they are satisfied there are enough eggs. *If your hen can't cover all the eggs with her body, when she leaves for a drink or snack or bath, remove the dirtiest and infertile ones so she can cover them all completely.
And you should let her sit the full term (26-32 days from the time ALL the eggs were finally laid) After 32 days, remove the eggs as they are infertile. Throughout her term, whenever she leaves the nest (she should do so daily for food, water, and a bath), remove any rotten or smelly eggs. (Try not to disturb them too much, only do this the first and third week, and maybe the fourth).

As for selling the drakes, it's up to you. If they are both friendly and good, and healthy, you should pick the most colorful if you want good sale on your extra ducklings. If yu are more interested in dual purpose or meat, pick the bigger one. And if one is unhealthy, aggressive, high strung, get rid of it for sure.

And duck eggs can be kept for eating up to 2 or 3 months (if refridgerated) and still be good. Fertile eggs (if not smelly) are good for 10-20 days, rarely 30 (I'd assume) when left outside. HOWEVER, if you "store" the eggs at the right humidity and temperature for a week before incubating them (typically artificially in this case) it improves the hatch rate, and they can be kept up to 4 weeks after.

"""Thank you so much for your feedback """ I have 3 nest with 4, 16 & 8 eggs in the newest nest. I have decided to buy a digital Temperature and humidity reader and light fitting and maybe use a computer fan and build an incubation box.
My two chickens have been sitting on 8 fertile CAYUGA eggs for 18 days and another 5 eggs for 8 days.
I have candles the eggs and hope that I'm viewing the right progress from watching YouTube videos. All the 8 eggs (18 days) are full and the air bubble seems to be getting larger on some. 1 egg has obvious veins and the others are dark and full. None are smelly and I'm hoping that all 13 are going to hatch.
I have eaten about 8 eggs from myducks that were born on the 25th of November and they were all fertile.
On centre again I thank you for your feedback and information and I hope I'm doing the right things with the eggs :-D
Another question :-D is it normal for the females to have Black legs and the males to have yellow legs?
Also do some Cayuga's have greenish bills/beaks?

 

[Welshies]

Greenish bills aren't uncommon... as long as they are black. Can you post a closer picture of a male? If their feet and bill are orange they could be a cross...

Also, as females age they get whiter, so don't panic if this happens to yours

 

[addarr]

Today's warm fuzzy! After a failed attempt with her own eggs and putting in some from my khaki Campbell's we have duckling 1 of possible 3. She worked so hard. She was strutting around when I came out with dinner.
See that silly spot she built her nest it drives me crazy.
Yea babies!

 

[ARTic]

OMG I have 6 baby Cayuga ducklings peeping in there eggs and tap tap tapping. I hope the other 2 start tapping to.
They are hatching after 24-25 days under my 2 chickens.