Daisy duck (Muscovy) will she sit on her first clutch this late in the season

[MommaDuck78]

My Daisy duck was born in April and I wasn't sure if she was going to lay eggs this year due to the fact of her age and the cold weather coming around the time that she would start laying eggs. I read that Muscovy ducks lay eggs until October or November. Well I got lucky and she actually laid her first egg yesterday and her second today. My question is because it's getting cold and it's her first clutch, once the clutch is done being laid will she sit on them? Or is it going to be too cold for her to do that? I don't know if they sit on them this late in the year I'm still learning about muscovies but loving them so far. So I wasn't sure if I should just take them from her or if she's going to sit on them once they're all laid.

 

[MommaDuck78]

My Daisy duck was born in April and I wasn't sure if she was going to lay eggs this year due to the fact of her age and the cold weather coming around the time that she would start laying eggs. I read that Muscovy ducks lay eggs until October or November. Well I got lucky and she actually laid her first egg yesterday and her second today. My question is because it's getting cold and it's her first clutch, once the clutch is done being laid will she sit on them? Or is it going to be too cold for her to do that? I don't know if they sit on them this late in the year I'm still learning about muscovies but loving them so far. So I wasn't sure if I should just take them from her or if she's going to sit on them once they're all laid.

Ends up a lady at church has a whole bunch of muscovies and she said her females will sit on them at this time of year where we are located but sometimes they won't. Apparently the mother uses discretion about food sources and cold weather.

 

[MommaDuck78]

Miss Daisy duck has been doing great? after laying her first egg on veterans Day I did leave the eggs in her nest for the first 3 days, but then before I got advice I washed the three eggs and she actually held her egg from me on the 4th day. Lol so after other advice I put a chicken egg in her bed to make her feel safe about laying her egg in there because she didn't end up laying it anywhere else during the day and held on to it. Well the next morning there was a new one. So now I'm leaving 2 in her bed at a ing time so she continues to lay them there and I'm marking them each day so I know which egg to take out. Her and Duke's big duck house is almost finished! I've been building it slowly but putting a lot of thought into it. Possibly tomorrow it will be finished. So excitedf them because then I can also get Duke one or two more females. Took these pictures yesterday morning.

 

[Kiwibird]

Collect these first eggs. They will be smaller than the eggs laid a few weeks from now, but tend to have the same amount of shell that would be needed to cover a full sized egg. The thick shell makes it harder for these eggs to hatch.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Muscovy eggs are so hard compared to my Runner and Buffs eggs. I have a friend in Texas whos Muscovy mate and lay and hatch all year round. I live further north and mine quit mating an laying in early fall. They are in various stages of molt now.

 

[MommaDuck78]

Collect these first eggs. They will be smaller than the eggs laid a few weeks from now, but tend to have the same amount of shell that would be needed to cover a full sized egg. The thick shell makes it harder for these eggs to hatch.

Wow I guess so! Her first six eggs we're not a whole lot bigger than chicken eggs so I didn't expect the egg that I found this morning!! Holy moly it's huge LOL It was cute she's laying for 3 days in a row then taking a day off it seems. Lol Laid an egg 3 days in a row and took day 4 off,then laid another 3 days in a row and took day 8 off from laying. Yesterday was her day off I said good job baby girl, no wonder you didn't lay an egg yesterday that thing is huge! LOL

 

[casportpony]

Congrats on the eggs! I bet that big one is a double yolker.

 

[MommaDuck78]

Collect these first eggs. They will be smaller than the eggs laid a few weeks from now, but tend to have the same amount of shell that would be needed to cover a full sized egg. The thick shell makes it harder for these eggs to hatch.

Thank you for that. I did hear that the first eggs will be smaller since it's her first batch but I didn't know about it having the same amount of shell and harder to hatch.

 

[YodaBat]

Thank you for that. I did hear that the first eggs will be smaller since it's her first batch but I didn't know about it having the same amount of shell and harder to hatch.

PATOS and I progressed from 72 grams first layings to 80 grams in 1 month or so we are sitting lol at 84 grams now 1 year later.

 

[YodaBat]

Here is my Goldie Duck brooding late winter in the Southern Hemisphere.
We used supplimental light. She hatched the whole clutch. Good momma duck.