RainForestBird
Songster
- Jul 12, 2016
- 289
- 287
- 152
My broody duck has been sitting on 15 eggs for 4 weeks now. I thought they would hatch 3 days ago but as you know, when a hen is in charge you never know exactly when they will hatch.
Last night I was using my cordless drill to make a new duck house for the anticipated little ones to live in once they are old enough. I thought that maybe the noise upset her, because after I cleaned up and was making my nightly rounds to put all the birds in, I noticed a half opened and bloody egg outside of the duck house. She had apparently rolled it out of the nest. I looked at it closely and the duckling was still breathing, and the yolk had not yet been absorbed. So I hurriedly brought it into the house, wrapped it in a warm, wet paper towel (squeezed out) and put it in my incubator which was already on and at a good temp and humidity for hatching. I checked on the mother and she was very protectively covering her eggs, so I thought it best to leave her alone. I got up this morning, and found one duckling that had either been crushed, or killed after it came out of the egg. Part of it was still in the egg. Another egg was in the same condition just outside the nest. I was able to move the mom and checked on the balance of the eggs which looked fine with no pipping. I ran inside, grabbed a towel and a large bowl and removed all but two of the eggs which I left for her to sit on. I rushed them into the incubator, only to find that the duckling from last night had passed. I feel awful. Could I have upset her so that I caused her to attack her babies?
The first baby I found was well formed with a bill that was obviously breathing. Please help. She is a first time mom by the way.
Last night I was using my cordless drill to make a new duck house for the anticipated little ones to live in once they are old enough. I thought that maybe the noise upset her, because after I cleaned up and was making my nightly rounds to put all the birds in, I noticed a half opened and bloody egg outside of the duck house. She had apparently rolled it out of the nest. I looked at it closely and the duckling was still breathing, and the yolk had not yet been absorbed. So I hurriedly brought it into the house, wrapped it in a warm, wet paper towel (squeezed out) and put it in my incubator which was already on and at a good temp and humidity for hatching. I checked on the mother and she was very protectively covering her eggs, so I thought it best to leave her alone. I got up this morning, and found one duckling that had either been crushed, or killed after it came out of the egg. Part of it was still in the egg. Another egg was in the same condition just outside the nest. I was able to move the mom and checked on the balance of the eggs which looked fine with no pipping. I ran inside, grabbed a towel and a large bowl and removed all but two of the eggs which I left for her to sit on. I rushed them into the incubator, only to find that the duckling from last night had passed. I feel awful. Could I have upset her so that I caused her to attack her babies?
The first baby I found was well formed with a bill that was obviously breathing. Please help. She is a first time mom by the way.
Sorry for your lost ducklings
