Do White Layer Ducks Go Broody?

[Eggscoozme]

My girls finally started laying in a nest THEY built in the enclosed portion of our duck coop. Prior to that, they had been laying IN the water dish.

So, my question is this: does anybody have experience with WHITE LAYER DUCKS (from MPC via Metzer Farms) that they will go broody?

Perhaps just the fact that they built a nest they started to lay in is indicative that they'll go broody?

Help

 

[FarmerGirl101]

How old are they? Have they played in the actual nesting box before?

 

[chickens really]

Any breed of Duck can go Broody..Depends on the Hen...

 

[Timothy Menezes]

It's very possible, but not very likely. Did you want them to?

 

[Timothy Menezes]

Metzers rated the mothering ability of White Layers as "fair", so not great but not poor for what that's worth. Doesn't say how likely they are to set, but I have found individual birds can vary quite a bit even if they are closely related. Here's the chart I was looking at.

http://www.metzerfarms.com/DuckBreedComparisonNew.cfm?affiliate=undef&CustID=21933070

 

[chickens really]

Any breed of Duck has the ability to go Broody. Just not all of any breed actually do....

 

[Eggscoozme]

How old are they? Have they played in the actual nesting box before?

I didn't have a nesting box for them. I just had straw laid down in the enclosed part of their coop. I thought they stopped laying as I didn't see anymore eggs in there water dish located in their run. When I went to look at the condition of their enclosed coop area, my heart leaped with Joy as I spotted a pit in the straw, in a corner, shaped similar to a bird's nest - high edges. There was ONE egg IN the nest, and one just on the rim. I started checking it daily, and both my girls, I believe, are laying in it, but not both EVERY day. There's currently 9 eggs.

I received these ducks (White Layers) just a couple days old April 2nd 2018. They started laying in July. Mine are friendly once they got to see what's what and who's who. I've not tried to hold them. They don't seem to be THAT friendly, but they are nowhere NEAR as skittish as my Khaki Campbells. THOSE ducks needed a sedative! LOL.

My ducks have been mating for over a month now - just as soon as I open their pen, they're off to the kiddie pool and stock tank to mate and clean.

I'm thinking of waiting another week and see if one of them will "set" on the eggs. If not, may just put them in the bator. If that's the case, and some do hatch, how easy will it be to introduce them into the parent flock (2 ducks 1 drake)?

 

[Eggscoozme]

Metzers rated the mothering ability of White Layers as "fair", so not great but not poor for what that's worth. Doesn't say how likely they are to set, but I have found individual birds can vary quite a bit even if they are closely related. Here's the chart I was looking at.

http://www.metzerfarms.com/DuckBreedComparisonNew.cfm?affiliate=undef&CustID=21933070

I love that chart! Thank you for sending. I will probably try to hatch some myself.

What does "bluish" eggs mean?

 

[Timothy Menezes]

What does "bluish" eggs mean?[/QUOTE]

Certain breeds of chickens and ducks will lay colored eggs. They are refered referred to as "tinted" as the eggs are usually a light shade of blue or green.

 

[Eggscoozme]

Okay, my white layer ducks I received this past April have laid fertile eggs. Wow! At least nine out of 14 eggs are fertile.
So, they started laying at about 3 3/4 mths old and at no more than at 5mths of age are laying fertile eggs. Whooooah! Seems young, right? Not that knowledgeable out ducks, so please step in!