Duck Going Broody! HELP!!

[BuffyDuckies]

Hello, my female duck has been laying her eggs up at her house and water source. The ducks free range and she has found a spot in our yard that she made a nest in. She started laying her eggs in it but we want to eat them and not hatch. She has made past nests that we have taken eggs out of and when we do that she will move to a different spot. So I decided to replace the eggs in the new nest with golf balls so she won't move the nest but will continue laying eggs in it. There are currently three golf balls in the nest and she thinks they are her eggs. I feel really bad about it but I don't want her to move nests again because it's really hard to find her new ones. Well she just started laying on the golf balls all day, and at night she will come up to their house and sleep. She has been laying on the eggs all day and then she will lay a new egg by her house the next morning at like 5 and then goes and lays in her nest. I think she only cares about the "eggs" in her nest so she lays new ones to cover for them at her house. Well I feel really really bad about it and I'm willing to put an egg or two under her to actually hatch but my dad won't let me because winter is coming and we can't take care of a duckling right now. So my question is. .

If she lays on the golf balls for a month and sees they don't hatch will she give up and not go broody again? I want her to hatch baby's in the spring but not this winter.

Should I let her lay on the golf balls or do something about it?

I want to move her nest but I don't know if I can, does anyone have any ideas on how I could?

When she stops brooding will she go back to it?

Thank you

 

[JacinLarkwell]

She might get up after a minth, odds are though if she's dedicated enough to sit that long, she'll sit longer and not give up

 

[Crazy Maizie]

What breed of duck? If muscovy, forget about her ever giving up. She'll brood those golf balls till they hatch.
It's not good for them to brood if they don't need to - saps their energy. The only way I can think of breaking her in your situation is to confine her to a small area with no golf balls and remove her eggs daily until shes no longer broody.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

What breed of duck? If muscovy, forget about her ever giving up. She'll brood those golf balls till they hatch.
It's not good for them to brood if they don't need to - saps their energy. The only way I can think of breakingnher in your situation is to confine her to a small area with no golf balls and remove her eggs daily until shes no longer broody.

I second this advice.
Picking up eggs and destroying nests daily is the only way I know to try and break them.
If they are free range that's hard to do, you'd have to hunt for the new nest all the time.

 

[BuffyDuckies]

What breed of duck? If muscovy, forget about her ever giving up. She'll brood those golf balls till they hatch.
It's not good for them to brood if they don't need to - saps their energy. The only way I can think of breaking her in your situation is to confine her to a small area with no golf balls and remove her eggs daily until shes no longer broody.

She is a Buff duck. Since they free range it's hard to put them in a smaller area but I'll try to take the eggs and golf balls away.
Thank you for the advice.

 

[BuffyDuckies]

I second this advice.
Picking up eggs and destroying nests daily is the only way I know to try and break them.
If they are free range that's hard to do, you'd have to hunt for the new nest all the time.

Yea, I could try breaking the nest. But when she breaks the broodiness will she ever go back to it?
Thank you

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Ducks chose where to nest, but mine generally like the same spot even after I break their broodines.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Yea, I could try breaking the nest. But when she breaks the broodiness will she ever go back to it?
Thank you

Mine generally go back and lay in the same places. But mine are confined to one area.
If yours are out on a lot of space she might try different hiding spots.