Did I do a terrible thing?

[DucksOhio]

I had a very broody 2 year old duck. She was sitting on eggs for 2 weeks in the duck house. Her brooding kinda really disrupted the spirit of the entire flock.

I have 3 drakes and 5 girls. 3 of the girls I raised from incubator hatched eggs a year ago. It’s been a long journey to integrate the new girls to the existing flock.

While brooding, the other ducks seemed to go amok. Mean drakes, pushing the younger girls away, not even letting them go into the pond. Gosh, love Spring, but hate mating season.

I came to the conclusion that I did not want the broody duck to hatch eggs.
I was really concerned about the possibility of adding another drake into the family, and there is no way I would ever cull a drake.

My husband chased the broody duck out of the duck house, very much against her will.

I disposed of the eggs, with trying not to let her see that I did so.

Once she saw they were gone, she threw a fit. This happened yesterday and she is still in quite a state.

I feel awful. Please advise.

 

[bobbi-j]

She'll adjust. Just because a bird is broody, we are not required to let them hatch if we don't want more birds.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

@chickens really

 

[SueT]

I have had to break a broody chicken many a time. As you said, you don't want babies, and the broodiness was interfering w integration.
Mine usually don't give up being broody just by removing them from nest. I learned on BYC to put the hen in a wire bottom cage for 3-4 days. That has done the trick for me.
Good luck!
Sue

 

[DucksOhio]

She'll adjust. Just because a bird is broody, we are not required to let them hatch if we don't want more birds.

Thank you. I’m doing my darndest todo right by my beloved duckies.