Duck always nesting but no eggs

[Featherlight-]

My duck has been nesting almost always every day for atleast 3-4 days now but no eggs, she always goes back to the same spot, and she’s made a decent nest out of hay, I do have a drake and two other females, but from what I’ve seen I don’t know if any of them actually know how to mate? The drake does go for them and they squat down if on land, but he never actually gets on them, don’t know if it’s completely relevant but putt it here just incase.
The nest is inside the chook house in one of the nesting boxes on the ground, both her and one of the others lay eggs there when they do lay, which isn’t often, maybe one a day for both at most for 3-4 days in a row.
I dont believe she’s egg bound, as she does get up and run around to get food and water occasionally, and doesn’t walk or act funny when she does.
Don’t really know everything that’s relevant but she’s atleast a year or so old and a runner duck.

 

[nuthatched]

She's probably about to go broody, (trying to hatch eggs) although I thought runner ducks were less likely to.
A duck or chicken will go broody without needing a male, so it doesn't matter if your Drake is mating her or not.

 

[Featherlight-]

The problem is that she’s not laying eggs though, I understand the whole broody part it’s just concerning me that its taking so long, every time I go in there to check for chook eggs it’s like walking in on someone using the toilet with that awkward eye contact and slowly backing out with an apology for intruding.
Thank you for replying though it definitely helps me feel better about it anyway, hopefully she lays soon enough…

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Broody ducks stop laying eggs. If you have been taking the eggs away, she's still going through the motions. Sometimes, broody ducks will find other eggs to sit on. They don't care if they are fertilized or not. Its brought on by hormones.
If she's just a yr, she might just be pausing her egg laying for a bit as well. They go through phases before everything regulates and has a normal cycle.

 

[Featherlight-]

She funnily enough wasn’t broody when laying before, so maybe she’s just starting to work things out I guess.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

She funnily enough wasn’t broody when laying before, so maybe she’s just starting to work things out I guess.

Hormones change as they age. It's not the egg laying persay as many ducks lay eggs without going broody.
However, keep an eye on her because you are certain she's not broody - we aren't there just offering info. You know your duck.

 

[Quacky Cate]

I know this thread is almost a year old. Any updates on what was going on with her? I have a runner that's over a year old and a good layer up until about month ago. she keeps laying fairy eggs and was acting egg bound. i soaked her in warm bath and 3 fairy eggs and 2 small soft shell eggs came out with in 2 hours after the soak. every morning she does her egg laying dance and builds a nest but no eggs. I am not sure what is going on with her.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sounds she may need some extra calcium for one. What are you feeding and do you offer oyster shell? Calcium gluconate is excellent for helping to get eggs out that maybe stuck 1 ml by mouth or over a tasty treat. TSC carries it and it will say injectable but we use it orally.

 

[Quacky Cate]

@Miss Lydia Thank you so very much for responding! I had to switch feed from Purina Duck feed to Dumor all flock pellets due to TSC being out of the purina. But then she got bumble foot and was being treated for this. She's had it in the past and literally flips out when she knows we are going to be treating her. So not sure if stress or food. I feed her oyster shells as well and brewers yeast. I have 2 other females. One who is molting and not laying and one who lays very well. so not thinking it's the food that caused this. Pictured below are the eggs she laid last week. fairy eggs. the one day she laid 3 fairy eggs and 2 soft shells(not pictured). have you ever seen anything like it? I just gave her 1ml of calcium gluconate 23% over some mealworms. She was "nesting" again this morning, but nothing. Acting very fine and normal.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'd give her the cal glu for a few days.
And yes I have seen the fairy eggs many times here. Sometimes they happen at beginning of lay sometimes at the end when they are going to take a break from laying. And sometimes they just happen. Soft shells usually stop once I have givien Cla glu for a couple of days.
Hopefully it's nothing to worry about Just keep an eye on her.
Laying soft shell seems to really bother them.
And she may be having reproductive issues so watch for the next eggs and let us know what they look like. To lay 3 fairy eggs and 2 soft shells I'd be concerned but to be acting normal is a good sign.
Does she stay on the nest all day or is she just on in the morning like she is going to lay then up with everyone else?