Do Cayuga's Go Broody??

[Chickie Mamma]

Hello, I have a Cayuga that has not laid all spring. She did molt and is only a year old. She has started laying finally and has been mated by my drake repeatedly. I was cleaning out the pen this week to find a nest of her eggs. There were 3 of her eggs and a couple from my silkie that managed to get in there. She covers it up after she lays. Will she go broody when she has enough eggs in there or should I take them and incubate them myself? I would hate to "waste" the eggs. Thanks...

 

[ScoobyRoo]

Hey Chickie Mamma
I hope you don't mind if I add to your thread. Another one was started about broodys but is dominated right now by a poster. What I have read so far is 'yes' and 'no' about any duck going broody. I know that does not help answer your question but only time will tell. I guess it is what you read and what sounds best to you. Or tally up others experiences. I was trying to find out myself 'if' a duck hen does go broody has she been mating? Mine just started laying too but I cracked several eggs and they were not fertile. I do have drakes but do not know if they are mating. They are right at 20 weeks old. They free range during the day and are penned up with the chickens, turkeys and geese at night. My other question is will they take to a man-made nest?? Or do they prefer natural vegetation? I want her to lay in a nest instead of all over the run if they don't get out for the day. If she can hold her egg till I let them out, she does lay in my ornamental grasses. Sorry to write a story but I want to learn.
Why not give her some time to find out if she will set.
Good luck with your cayuga. I have one too but a drake and very small.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

I have lots of cayugas, and have raised over 110 types of wild waterfowl. Most all ducks will go broody if you leave the eggs to them. The cayugas we have, do exactly what you said, they dig out a wallow, lay in it, then cover them up when they leave, all 6 hens of ours lay in the same nest. Funny cause if it getts broke up and they move, once again they all go to the same spot.
As for them brooding, mine have never shown any signs of even attempting it, but individual birds may vary, and we tend to sell the eggs so never really give them a chance. But mallards, muscovies, and calls, will go broody even if you take them after a while.
So , I would conclude that cayugas may not be the best setters in the barnyard duck world.
As for man make boxes. They prefer ground nest, but never went into any we gave them, they seem to prefer, brush and secluded areas out of the way.
Now many other breeds, especially the wild types, will often use them, it just all depends on exacty what breeds you are talking about?
All domestics, to the best of my knowledge, are ground nesters, so bare that in mind when trying to build them a box. Keep it in an area they seem to like and hope for the best.
Ol duck hens are pretty picky about where they lay, so just watch them, and they'll show you their prefered location.
Good luck.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

I have a swedish mix I believe. From what I have read, she seems to show a little broodiness. I was thinking of getting a rubbermaid box and cutting an entrance on one end. If she is stubborn about having her nest outside unprotected, do I just chicken wire her area and open it up during the day so she can come and go? Or will that even be necessary meaning once she sets she may not get up off the nest till hatched? Thanks for the response.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

If preditors arent bad in your area, you'll be fine.
But if they are, outside of a pen, she'd be a "sitting duck"
I would pen her up to be safe, but yep, other than a few drinks and eats, she wont move much during a brood cycle.
They will usually start to pluck down and line the nest when preping to go broody. If you see this, you know she's getting ready.
Just make sure the box of choice is big enough, if you want to try that route, if she likes it, she'll use it, but domestics have always seemed to be outside layers to me, but each is different
Good luck with her,
Aubrey

 

[ScoobyRoo]

Quote:
Thanks for the reply Aubrey.
If she lays an egg tomorrow (if I can find it) I'm going to check to be sure it is fertile before I do too much.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

sounds good, cant say I blame you there either, would stink to go to a lot of trouble, for infertile egggs!

 

[Chickie Mamma]

Thanks for all the replys!! My Cayuga seems to prefer the "muddy" nest. Muddy shavings to be exact. My white crested prefers to go into a nest box. I have left over 10 eggs for my white crested to hatch and she never sat. I "wasted" 10 eggs to figure it out. The Cayuga seems a little more interested in her eggs. She will cover the nest when she leaves and return to it often. The white crested lays a bunch, does not cover them and never goes back during the day until she needs to lay another one. I have some silkie hens out there but they are still young. I will try to give the silkies a couple each when they go broody. I would love my ducks to hatch their own babies (it'll save on electricity from the bator). I was going to build an outdoor nest box for the cayuga but I think it would be a waste of time. Thanks again..

 

[ScoobyRoo]

Quote:
Who is the drake for your cayuga? I forgot to check. I hope she sets for you! We would like to try it also but not sure if mine are mating.
Have you checked to see if the eggs are fertile? I just cracked one this morning to see and My DD and I have a disagreement. I say it is not fertile because all I see is a white dot but no halo around it. She says she can see a faint halo around the dot.

I have noticed that if she lays in the run before I let them out---it is in the same area. I may go ahead and try the rubbermaid box to make a nest for her. I have geese in there too and I wonder if they will bother her? I will make the entrance large enough for her but too small for the geese.

 

[Ducklove334]

I had a cayuga (R.I.P)

who had only laid maybe 15 eggs total before she went broody on 5 of them, she was my little "nun" duck and would completely FREAK if a drake tried to mate her!

she sat her nest for about 3 days, then I came out to find that the board I had propped up for them ducks to nest under was knocked on top of her, she had died on her nest

one egg was crushed,I put them rest in the bator, but none ever hatched, Layra was my first ever broody duck too, I miss her.

I have another little 1 month old cayuga hen duckling who I hope goes broody.