Do you let your ducks sit or do you incubate?

[Miss Lydia]

I have Muscovy too and boy they are determined. My youngest is 9 yrs and this year she didn't get to hatch but that didn't stop her from being broody most of the summer and into yesterday lol. Every morning I take her out and close the door. Every evening I open the door so the chickens can go into roost and there she goes right back to where she nested the night before so yesterday I put a bale of shaving over her spot. We'll see this morning if that made any difference. She is so ratty looking she needs to molt before cold weather hits.
My last 2 cochin bantams just gave up being broody after all summer at it.
Dolly is a wonderful mama duck too. I wish I could let her hatch every year.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

I have Muscovy too and boy they are determined. My youngest is 9 yrs and this year she didn't get to hatch but that didn't stop her from being broody most of the summer and into yesterday lol. Every morning I take her out and close the door. Every evening I open the door so the chickens can go into roost and there she goes right back to where she nested the night before so yesterday I put a bale of shaving over her spot. We'll see this morning if that made any difference. She is so ratty looking she needs to molt before cold weather hits.
My last 2 cochin bantams just gave up being broody after all summer at it.
Dolly is a wonderful mama duck too. I wish I could let her hatch every year.

Ack. I was hoping they'd stop being broody after maybe 5 yrs.

 

[Isadora]

Ack. I was hoping they'd stop being broody after maybe 5 yrs.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Ack. I was hoping they'd stop being broody after maybe 5 yrs.

Are you kidding my 2 10 yr olds were broody this summer. And as all of us who have muscovy know does not matter if they have eggs or not.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Are you kidding my 2 10 yr olds were broody this summer. And as all of us who have muscovy know does not matter if they have eggs or not.

Amazing creatures. That's why I love muscovy.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I love them too, even as I watch my last broody Dolly chasing her mama all over the yard just cause she can lol

 

[telandra2]

I have Anconas, which are not a broody breed, and 4 hens went broody in June. 2 of them broke, the other two broke me down after a month of my taking eggs and breaking nests. 110deg PacNW heatwave and they were determined to sit on eggs in the direct sun. We compromised when I moved the eggs and nests inside the coop in July for a mid August hatch.

Out of about 24 brooded eggs and 2 nests I have 2 surviving teenagers. 4 died by shrinkwrap/dehydration, 2 by my interfearing trying to prevent shrink wrapping, 2 ducklings died by cold when mamma ignored them, most eggs just went bad. When the first nest hatched that hen moved over to fighting over nest #2 rather than tending her (attached to Auntie) duckling.

Of the 2 survivors the first attached to a teenage Auntie rather than mommy but slept in the nest with mom at night. The second, hatched 2 weeks later, was fought over. The dueling mommy's severely injured/broke its legs on 2 separate occasions due to fighting over protecting it. Mom of nest #1 is a great mommy and still watches over her feathered teen. (Even chasing off the horny drake.) Mom #2 was so so, but probably good for an Ancona, and ignores the teens.

I -also- incubator hatched, and imprinted, ducklings back in March. 5 surviors from 9 eggs. Those deaths were all weak or otherwise unfit and would never have survived in the wild.

Conclusion. The incubator was easier, with less worry, but more hands on work (not necessarily a bad thing). The broody hens have a lot of heartache and learning for human and hen 1st time mommies. Neither sitting hen has produced an egg since July, something to consider if you want eating eggs.

Next year I'm letting the ducks decide. I think I prefer letting nature do its thing, and maybe the hens will be better moms now that they've had practice.