Down to 4 ducks

[Fisherlmiranda]

I had 4 welsh harlequin ducks and 3 Peking ducks we got a few months back. The Peking were a trial run we got as ducklings. Were going to harvest them for meat. Then we got two pairs of adult welsh harlequin for laying eggs. We let them out of a pen during the day to free range. First to go was one of the Peking who was 9 weeks old, couldn't walk when I went to let them out. From my research it looks like he had a nician or vitamin deficiency. We tried to save him but it turned into him struggling to breathe so we put an end to his suffering. Well then one female welsh wondered off the property and got nabbed by a coon right at dusk. Then our livestock guard dog who keeps the hawks away got sick, and a hawk got a drake welsh. So now we have a pair of welsh and 2 Pekings left. So I decided to let the female welsh set a nest before we loose anymore ducks. She's got 16 eggs in her nest. How long should I wait before removing the eggs because she's not going broody. Its been 16 days. She's adding one every night.

 

[rachelsflock]

I'd remove them all and give her a healthy serving of golf balls as egg replacements and keep collecting new eggs for safe keeping. Golf balls don't go bad or crack and spoil other eggs. It also doesn't matter if they accidentally get dirty. Then when she does go broody, give her any eggs you have that are under 10 days old (turn saved eggs daily and write the date on them).

Your call though. Some people do it one way, some another. That way has worked for me for several years now.

 

[chickens really]

If incubator is your method..Collect now. Eggs drop fertility after 10 days..Lay flat at room temp for about 8 hours and then put into an incubator that's also was running for 24 hours...

 

[Fisherlmiranda]

This is my first time letting a duck sit a nest so any advice is welcomed I should have been writing the date on each egg as they were laid I dint even think of that but it makes sense. The lady I bought them from said they are very broody ducks and she never had any problems with the ducks making their own nest. So I kinda have just been letting her do her thing. She did tell me that one duck hatched 18 ducklings and kept them all alive.

 

[Fisherlmiranda]

If incubator is your method..Collect now. Eggs drop fertility after 10 days..Lay flat at room temp for about 8 hours and then put into an incubator that's also was running for 24 hours...

We are not incubating them. We were just gonna let the duck go broody.

 

[chickens really]

This is my first time letting a duck sit a nest so any advice is welcomed I should have been writing the date on each egg as they were laid I dint even think of that but it makes sense. The lady I bought them from said they are very broody ducks and she never had any problems with the ducks making their own nest. So I kinda have just been letting her do her thing. She did tell me that one duck hatched 18 ducklings and kept them all alive.

Not all Hens go Broody though..

 

[Fisherlmiranda]

That was kinda my question, how many eggs should I wait till, till I decided she's not going to go broody. And give up and remove the eggs.