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.

 

[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.

 

[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!

 

[21hens-incharge]

Congratulations on having good mama hens! I would not try and let chickens raise ducklings myself as I have no experience with doing so. I would bring them in and keep them inside under a brooder lamp in a brooder box. Not sure about hoping a mama hen will keep them warm and dry enough.

That is me though ...... caution and all that.

 

[21hens-incharge]

That is not a bad temp for the little ones if mama is doing the mama thing and keeping them warm when they need it.
What is the overnight low supposed to be?

 

[Cayuga mama]

I have 3 Cayuga ducks, 2 females and 1 drake. They have been laying eggs for 4 months. Here in the last week or so they have been sitting on their nests. Switching back and forth. In the last few days we've walked out there 1 dead baby beside the nest another one yesterday an egg off to the side with its foot stuck out of the shell, bloody but still moving.. Should I separate the drake from the 2 females? I beginning to think all he wants to do is mate. 28 days Monday. They have already laid 5 more

 

[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?