Duck sitting on rocks and thinks they are eggs

[Nataliemolly]

Hello,

Around 18 months ago, we purchased 5 female ducks and 1 drake, they all got on very well until the spring time when the drake became fixated on breeding with just one duck, chasing her round constantly and pinning her down. Her poor neck was constantly bleeding so we decided to give the drake away to a friend who also keeps poultry.
So this year, there has been no male in with the girls, and the very cool English summer we are having has led them to stop laying even earlier than the usual august cut off date for this breed.

however, one of the girls has built herself a nest and filled it with round stones, and sits on them all day. When we put her in the duck house at night, she is very agitated leaving the rocks, and runs straight back to them when they are let back out at dawn.

Is this normal behaviour? Will she leave them eventually as we move towards autumn? I feel so sorry for her thinking she has babies coming when really they are just stones, but find it so strange that she has dragged stones from elsewhere in the garden in her little beak to then lay on!

thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[Beaglegal]

Honestly I had a pair of broodies share a nest. Only one baby hatched so one left the nest while the other stayed for 2 weeks after the baby hatched. I had to take her eggs away to finally get her to quit

 

[Nataliemolly]

She is sitting on rocks though they aren’t eggs?

 

[Beaglegal]

No, but I think you will have to take them away

 

[Miss Lydia]

It’s not a good idea to let her continue to sit on rocks. She still may not give up right away. I have two Muscovy females sitting on nothing at least they come out two times a day an eat drink an bathe.