Ducks

[chickens really]

Muscovy....NOT Pekin.....

 

[Ravynscroft]

It's definitely a PekinView attachment 1122385

She is a Muscovy... eggs still need to be checked... 6 weeks is 40 days, and no, they don't just know if eggs won't hatch... their brooding instincts are to sit until babies hatch...

 

[chickens really]

Also depends if your totally correct on the days she actually began setting.....

 

[member 490986]

So we should candle the eggs and what should we look for at this stage of brooding? Veins? I think we saw an air pocket this morning when she left for a swim, we checked one egg in a dark room with a flashlight. But we didn't see veins. Thank you sooooo much!

 

[Ravynscroft]

So we should candle the eggs and what should we look for at this stage of brooding? Veins? I think we saw an air pocket this morning when she left for a swim, we checked one egg in a dark room with a flashlight. But we didn't see veins. Thank you sooooo much!

At this stage, they should be about fully dark, filled with just about fully developed duckling... check for stinkers (no good, be careful, can explode), clears, quitters(mostly clear, small dark blobs) or sloshers... if it looks sloshy at all when you move it, it's no good... if you tape the egg with your fingernail and see a jump of movement, then that is a good one... good luck!

 

[member 490986]

The eggs are full except for the area of air pocket (?) but they don't seem to have any movement or anything visible. I doubt they will hatch at this point but she is still sitting on them! What should we do, how long will she sit there if we don't interfere??? Thank you!

 

[Ravynscroft]

The eggs are full except for the area of air pocket (?) but they don't seem to have any movement or anything visible. I doubt they will hatch at this point but she is still sitting on them! What should we do, how long will she sit there if we don't interfere??? Thank you!

As long as she is going off to eat, drink and bathe she should be fine and give up when her hormones kick off... if you are worried, you can destroy her nest and block it off so she can't return...

 

[member 490986]

Thank you! I prefer not to destroy her nest so I will wait and see what happens.

 

[member 490986]

Today was not a good day, our Muscovy did not leave her nest at all, not to eat or bathe, when we checked on her she was trembling and is losing feathers. I think we need to remove her eggs at this point, but this is all new to me so I'm afraid to do the wrong thing. Please help...thank you

 

[Ravynscroft]

Today was not a good day, our Muscovy did not leave her nest at all, not to eat or bathe, when we checked on her she was trembling and is losing feathers. I think we need to remove her eggs at this point, but this is all new to me so I'm afraid to do the wrong thing. Please help...thank you

She might be going into molt... pull the eggs and dispose of them, block off the nest area...