Do you think she's broody?

[Dill]

My pekin, Dill, has a nest underneath my desk. It has umm 5/6/7 eggs (I haven't counted in the last 3 days but I *think* there's 7). She's never made a nest before for her eggs, usually she just lays 'em anywhere but this time she ripped up newspaper and made a little nest for them under my desk and pushed a box in front for privacy. Her "boyfriend" Will has been mating her so chances are the eggs are fertile. Do you think once she has a clutch of about 10-20 eggs she'll start laying on them?

I really would love it if one would hatch. It'd be my little baby from Dill & Will and that way when one or both of them are gone (which I hope doesn't happen for at least 15 yrs!) I'll have their son/daughter. I'd love another duckling anyway and this is my only way to get one. But I don't want many to hatch so what should I do? I don't have fake eggs. I have infertile chicken eggs that my mom says aren't fit for eating because we've had them so long.. would it work to replace them with her eggs except for a few? Would she realize the difference? Or when she's not around could I freeze them (she isn't laying on them yet, so they haven't developed) and then they wouldn't hatch (except for the few that I didn't freeze). I guess the only flaw in this is if the 3 or 4 I choose to keep in the nest and not replace with fakes/freeze don't end up hatching.. but I guess that's just a chance I'll have to take.

 

[austinhart123]

well, you should let them hatch all their eggs and worry about getting tham new homes later, the reason why is because they are inexpierienced parents, and pekins (not the best broodies) , so chances are if she lays 15, 13 will be fertile, 10 will hatch, and 6 will make it to adulthood (ducks arent the best parents)....and if theyre lucky and they all make it, than u can give them away when the are older

 

[Dill]

No, I couldn't rehome them. I get waaaaay too attached for one. And I wouldn't be able to find them great homes, and even if I could I still just couldn't give them away.

They wouldn't be raising the babies, I wouldnt trust them too. They'd probably accidently step on them and kill them. Plus, they are outdoors in the daytime and indoors at night and no way am I letting little ducklings go outdoors at all. And the ducklings couldn't free range my room. I have a cat and rabbit free ranging my bedroom too and they could hurt them.

 

[austinhart123]

if they wouldnt be able to be with their parents or be outside ever, im not sure if you should be raising ducks, natural sunlight is an important factor to all life and u need to let nature run its course

 

[Dill]

Quote:
no, no I mean that while their ducklings they won't be going outside. back in May one duckling was born by one of my ducks and before i was able to bring it inside it went down to the lake with its mother and while i was trying to sneak down and grab it without it swimming away a hawk swopped down in the blink of an eye and snatched it

So any future small animals will not be going outside unless they're in a secure pen.

 

[Bex]

(ducks arent the best parents)

thats not true, it depends on BREED, Mallards, Muscovies, Cayugas,calls,Anconas,Magpies...and many others go broody well, and hatch and raise young, Muscovies will ATTACK you if you bother thier nest or babies. Pekins will go broody and hatch babies. it's not too common,but it happens, I saw once at a city park where two hens were raising 4 ducklings together.​