Daily Duck Egg Report for 2015

[Miss Lydia]

Awesome!

X2!!

 

[klemele]

Are your ducks laying yet? Mine are good parents so far... The male is amazing he stays there to give them company and dorsnt bug them when sitting on the nest!!! He is a sweetie pie, is it true that a female on their first clutch might leave it or stop laying because they become impatient?

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

Are your ducks laying yet? Mine are good parents so far... The male is amazing he stays there to give them company and dorsnt bug them when sitting on the nest!!! He is a sweetie pie, is it true that a female on their first clutch might leave it or stop laying because they become impatient?

My hen is on her last few days of incubation. She has been an amazing mom. She hasn't eaten anything for the past day or so and has pretty much locked herself down at this point. She growls at me if I get too close to her nest box, and her drake has been sticking very close by. Ducks are great parents!

 

[klemele]

So when your duck is basically on lockdown they become aggressive or protective over the eggs? And what type of ducks do you have that are incubating right now, what did your female duck do on her first clutch? Because I am worried she will loose patients and leave the nest when there is only a couple of days left

!

 

[18angovem]

So today me, my sister, my dad, and my mom all ate lunch together after church and I made bread pudding and I made it with duck eggs. It was sooo good! I let my family eat it all before I broke the news that it was duck eggs instead of chicken eggs because my mom and sister are weird about that stuff. But anyways when I told them my dad just said "Cool" and kept eating his. My sister yelled "What!", and my mom almost puked! I replied "Now really, What is the big deal! An egg is an egg!" I used 3 frozen call duck eggs because I couldnt hatch them. They were clean and tasted great! My mom was raised in orlando, pittsburgh, and just across the bridge into new jersey. She really isnt it to this "Farm thing" My dad as raised on a farm and my sister and I were both raised on a farm but my mom never liked it. I remember she always hated it when the wind blew and the dairy farm next door had just spread manure. She would complain that it must be illegal and my dad would say it reminded him of his childhood! lol.

 

[LadyHawkeAvry]

So when your duck is basically on lockdown they become aggressive or protective over the eggs? And what type of ducks do you have that are incubating right now, what did your female duck do on her first clutch? Because I am worried she will loose patients and leave the nest when there is only a couple of days left

!

I have a pair of Saxony ducks. The hen is in a nest box in my bathroom. Early on she established a "No Mop Zone" in front of her nest where she would attack the mop if I tried to clean there. Now she is tucked back into her box and only growls and lunges if you physically put a hand in there (she doesn't want to break her cover on her eggs). When she gets off the nest it is brief, very noisy, and involves much tail fanning, a very widely open mouth, and a very quick snack and bath along with a potty break. Ducks can spend about 30 minutes off of the nest without any harm coming to the eggs. If you are concerned she isn't getting back quick enough, you can time her when she gets off. If she is still out and about and it's been a while, just lock her in with her nest. She will most likely head right back onto it. These days mine spends only a minute or two off the nest, and it's just to wet her feathers to bring the nest humidity up. I haven't seen her eat in the past day, which is normal for the last day or two. I am expecting ducklings overnight Monday into Tuesday or Tuesday into Wednesday (They tend to hatch at night)
If mother birds lose focus, it is usually early on. By the time the end comes around, they are pretty much committed to going the distance. The only reason they would give up is if they were really harassed and stressed. I check up on her, talk to her and listen for baby ducks, but other than that I don't mess with her. I candled her eggs on day 7 when she left the nest for a dinner break, pulled a cracked one, numbered the rest, and have not done anything with the nest since. When they go full broody, they have a very strong instinct to stay on that nest no matter what. They look insanely bored sitting there all day, but it is really unusual for them to move once they start to sit.

 

[klemele]

Oh ok, wait your duck is nesting in your bathroom? And I think I will close off the nest so I know that it is not a long time she is off the best. And in Wisconsin it is about 10-0 degrees how do I now if it is humid under her because I know it is really important for duck eggs to be humid to be able to hatch? Does she get her feathers wet and sit in the nest? Thanks for answering all of my questions knowing it is my First year breeding!! And one final question, when the ducklings hatch should I put the mother in the brooder with them or no if I want her to still produce more fertile eggs?

 

[Miss Lydia]

So today me, my sister, my dad, and my mom all ate lunch together after church and I made bread pudding and I made it with duck eggs. It was sooo good! I let my family eat it all before I broke the news that it was duck eggs instead of chicken eggs because my mom and sister are weird about that stuff. But anyways when I told them my dad just said "Cool" and kept eating his. My sister yelled "What!", and my mom almost puked! I replied "Now really, What is the big deal! An egg is an egg!" I used 3 frozen call duck eggs because I couldnt hatch them. They were clean and tasted great! My mom was raised in orlando, pittsburgh, and just across the bridge into new jersey. She really isnt it to this "Farm thing" My dad as raised on a farm and my sister and I were both raised on a farm but my mom never liked it. I remember she always hated it when the wind blew and the dairy farm next door had just spread manure. She would complain that it must be illegal and my dad would say it reminded him of his childhood! lol.

Funny story. thanks for sharing.

 

[18angovem]

My sister said that no one eats duck eggs. I kindly referred her to this forum. lol.

 

[needlessjunk]

Of course people eat duck eggs! The farmers market sells out every week here so I guess quiet a few do eat them.

We got another egg today!