Duck Help

[Tiffanypdx]

We have a Khaki Cambell who has made a best outside, it seems both our girls are laying in this nest and the KC is laying on them but only sometimes. We lock them up at night.

This has been going on for a couple weeks. I'm not sure what to so now. We wouldn't mind letting her hatch them but we're not sure if we should let her sit out all night or if it's even too late.

Can someone give us info on what we could, should do?

 

[buff goose guy]

Hmm is recommend letting her lay where they sleep at night because that's when they don't really have much to do


Also she could sit in there during the say while still bring safe .

 

[Tiffanypdx]

I don't understand your advice. They used to lay eggs in their safe house. In the last few weeks they made a nest outside and started laying there. They still go in at night but then during the day lay eggs in the nest and sometimes she's sitting on them.

Do we move the nest? Can the eggs survive at night without her or do you think they're already ruined?

 

[Kleonaptra]

It depends how cold it is at night. The eggs will remain in a kind of 'waiting' state until the duck decides to sit full time, but if someone is incubating in the day and getting off at night then the changes in temp have most likely killed them. However, some eggs are extremely tough and will survive this.

If you are dead set on having them incubate - and I think from this behaviour your girls are inexperienced and perhaps not the best on instincts - Id move the nest into the shed and try to get someone full time sitting. If all the ducks are laying in the one nest you are going to have a night mare of a time. I know because my pekins did it to me and one was trying to sit on 50 eggs! They just cant sit that many, so you take some out, so they lay some more, you write the dates on them and candle them and try to keep track of each egg and trust me, its murder!

Pick ten that you think are fresh. Write the date on them and put them in the shed and keep that ten, chuck or cook the rest taking out new eggs every morning, and candle those ten once a week to see whats shaking. If nothings growing then you can let them incubate some new ones.

I struggled like this for two seasons and got no ducklings. I finally bought an incubator, so now when I get eggs I want to hatch I just take them, and leave some for the girls to play with, cook with the rest. Its much easier on you! Good Luck.

 

[buff goose guy]

Sorry I'm not one for explaining things .

What I was trying to say was it's best for her to sit on her eggs at night so they don't get too cold ,

If she will still sit on the nest , yes move it .