emergency!! my duck is killing her hatchlings

[duckyfei]

hi guys, my duck is currently sitting on her first clutch of eggs, yesterday one of the first ones pipped, but the shell seemed quite cracked… I put it back under mama duck, but this morning, poor duckling was crushed and flattened… they got out of the shell but was killed

we have another one just externally pipped.. but i don’t have any delivery services that can deliver an incubator quick enough. i’m so scared the same thing will happen again… what should i do? at night when i’m sleeping i cant check on the eggs regularly and i’m so worried.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Okay, can you bring mama and eggs inside so you can get the ducklings away from her when they hatch? You can have a brooder set up with a heat lamp or heat plate so they can go straight into the brooder once they hatch. I had to do this with one of my Muscovy as soon as the ducklings hatched one was still hatching I moved them into the warm brooder. What breed is your duck? is this her first time to hatch? You can set up a large dog crate for mama and eggs and put her in a quiet semi dark room. Where is she set up now/ other birds around her while hatching is going on?

 

[duckyfei]

Okay, can you bring mama and eggs inside so you can get the ducklings away from her when they hatch? You can have a brooder set up with a heat lamp or heat plate so they can go straight into the brooder once they hatch. I had to do this with one of my Muscovy as soon as the ducklings hatched one was still hatching I moved them into the warm brooder. What breed is your duck? is this her first time to hatch?

thanks heaps for your quick reply. Mama is a pekin, and very very moody and angry, refuses to go inside at all! I would definitely bring the babies inside as soon as they hatch as i have my brooder set up, but i’m afraid they will get crushed when they’re inside the egg or hatch when it’s around midnight time (to which my whole family will be asleep due to work)

 

[Isadora]

Crushed babies does happen sometimes but it doesn't mean she did it on purpose.

 

[Miss Lydia]

She is brooding outside out of the coop?
Do you know anyone who may have an incubator you can borrow? My Muscovy stepped on one of her eggs and crushed it thankfully this was during the day I brought the egg inside and left her to finish hatching in the brooder. My Muscovy had already attacked one duckling so I wasn't taking any chances. it's true crushed egg with duckling do happen are you seeing something that makes you think she is going to be aggressive?

 

[Chickenman623]

Heating pad and bathtowel could pull you through this crisis. I'm sure you know they are available at every drugstore and Walmart. Good luck, that's sad to hear.

 

[duckyfei]

She is brooding outside out of the coop?
Do you know anyone who may have an incubator you can borrow? My Muscovy stepped on one of her eggs and crushed it thankfully this was during the day I brought the egg inside and left her to finish hatching in the brooder. My Muscovy had already attacked one duckling so I wasn't taking any chances. it's true crushed egg with duckling do happen are you seeing something that makes you think she is going to be aggressive?

Mama seems to be quite aggressive as she always bites and me and runs at me, with her feathers fluffed up (this is ONLY when i’m around) even if i’m just doing gardening a good 10 meters away from her… she’s also rolled a couple of eggs out of her nest and crushed them… and most of them i believe we’re good and healthy eggs as I candle them every 5 or so days.

Unfortunately I don’t have any friends who have an incubator, but thinking of bringing the egg into the brooder tonight before I go to bed, and put a cup of water and bath towel into the brooder to maintain the humidity… don’t want to risk losing another precious one.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

Mama seems to be quite aggressive as she always bites and me and runs at me, with her feathers fluffed up (this is ONLY when i’m around) even if i’m just doing gardening a good 10 meters away from her… she’s also rolled a couple of eggs out of her nest and crushed them… and most of them i believe we’re good and healthy eggs as I candle them every 5 or so days.

Unfortunately I don’t have any friends who have an incubator, but thinking of bringing the egg into the brooder tonight before I go to bed, and put a cup of water and bath towel into the brooder to maintain the humidity… don’t want to risk losing another precious one.

Ducks can be aggressive if you are going anywhere near her nest
My pekin was really good
I was able to touch her eggs at any time
Have you seen her actually hurt the eggs or baby

 

[Canadian Wind]

The aggression towards you is most probably just normal broody temperament. Mu sweet gentle Magpie turned into a hissing menace that would bite and chase you if you came anywhere near when she was brooding.

Pekin are large birds, and it's not unknown for them to accidentally crush eggs. My Magpie's first clutch, I only had three ducklings hatch. They are learning, and don't always do the right thing the first time around.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@duckyfei how are things today?