Duck Laying Eggs? HELP?! Do I need to remove the drake?

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Hello everyone, I checked out the eggs today, in the morning, they were cracked more, no actual hole, but a good crack. I held a few up to my ear and I could hear them pecking away!! and peeping! , three of them however I think are not going to make it, one of them were cold, which is the same egg i believe she threw out of the nest a few days ago, i guess she put it back in? and the other two I heard nothing, they were the smallest eggs...maybe they just didnt get the hatch memo... :( all together, not including the cold egg and the two where i heard nothing , there are 15 peeping eggs. I just came inside from going to check but mama duck is sitting on them still and I dont want to disturb her. There are a few things that I am worried about though... First with it being February and cold out, When the ducks hatch should I bring them inside with mama duck? Or is she going to be able to care for them outside in this cold? Her nest is in the duck house, which is pretty decent size, with lots of hay inside, and a heat lamp, she put her nest right under the heat lamp, and that s where she is and has been. The house though does not have a door so the mama and dad duck were able to go in and out as they pleased. I guess I didnt take the cold into factor for the fact the weather had tricked me and we were in the 50s for a good week I thought spring was on its way, but now its back to the 30's. So should I re-locate after the hatch to inside my house in the basement? I want the ducklings to imprint on momma duck, and for her to raise them, I mean, shes come this far! Also, daddy duck is being extra protective of her now. He used to sleep outside the duck house to guard her and the eggs, and now he has moved inside and lays right next to her. Should I kick him out just to be safe? I have a divider in the pen I made last week just in case I had to do this. I also have a piece of wood I used to put up infront of the duck house door way when I wanted to lock them in at night, should I put that up to keep the ducklings from wandering?
 
Glad I found this thread! I'm from Maine and I have a female Khaki sitting on 13 eggs I am guessing they are about 3-4 days along. I'm nervous about the cold as well and wondered how yours were doing..especially on such a cold night like tonight. How is the male? I have a drake who sits right next to my female who is sitting sometimes even sitting on a couple eggs as well..which I find weird..lol! Has your male attacked an babies? Is he a little more nice to you now? :eek:)

Congrats on the adorable little ones!
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Hello Everyone,
Ducklings are doing great!!! 15 total! :) I separated the daddy duck because he was annoying the female, he chased her around in the duck hut and they were steppin on the babies so I booted him out. So now he only gets supervised visiting LOL. He seems to be "okay" with the babies, not really mean, he nipped one real quick, but I didnt let it get any further. He does however feel very protective over them and the momma duck, he pecks the hell out of me when I try to go near the duck hut, and watches my every move.

Momma duck is doing an AMAZING job being mommy. I'm so proud of her, its so amazing!

Casslarrabee225, they are doing great outside in the duck hut. They are actually using the nest in the duck hut as a brooder as well. I have a red 220 watt heat lamp in the hut , as well as some hay, and an old sweatshirt, with a food dish, and waterer, and they are doing fine. The other night I came home from work, and the heat light was off, i ran to the hut because it was freezing, I guess the light had exploded, water must have touched it somehow, maybe a duckling shaking his beak of water. The mama duck was in the opposite corner of the hut, with all fifteen babies underneath her keeping them warm. So I had removed them all into a big dog crate into the house over night till I could clean all the glass out of the house and get a new heat light the next day.

So the next day i raked out all the old hay, till i got to the dirt floor, got rid of the glass, and put new hay inside, and got a new lamp. and now theyre all back inside (i moved the water dish to the far far side away from the hanging heat lamp)
I think your momma duck and her babies will be fine, just make sure you have a warm place for them like a duck house with hay, and a heat lamp. =)
 

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