female duck breaking her eggs?

[davidda16]

My female duck has been very broody lately and has been sitting on not just her eggs but eggs from other females,trouble is when the eggs are within a few days of hatching i go down and find broken eggs with the dead ducklings still inside the shells some partially outside,a few were outside the duck house,this is not the first time this has happened, now this morning i find that two eggs which are probably within a week of hatching have had their shells partially smashed one is now in our incubator and still alive ,any ideas whats going on?

 

[duck4u]

Probably the mother senses something wrong with it. Or the ducklings could have died within hatching or she left them too long and they got cold and died. Is the female the same species? If not than she'll probably break the eggs, noticing that you put those eggs in her clutch.

 

[davidda16]

They are a mixed flock of rouens pekins and black swedish,the broody lady is a rouen but all the females tend to lay in our near her nest and she is the only one nesting at the moment,
As far as the ducklings dying in their shells theywere candled the night before and alive, could it be one of the males doing this maybe protecting his flock?

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Oh yes, another duck could very well be responsible. In fact, I personally think that is the most likely cause.