Female Mallard

[tetrouge]

Last March I bought 6 ducklings from feed store, three have survived. One female and 2 males. This is my second time raising ducks & I love it. 2 years prior to this bunch I had 6 and lost to Mother Nature. Have nice wooded area behind house with large pond. My female has laid a nest in hollow tree. Now has at least 9, maybe 10 eggs. Doesn't lay one every day and tomorrow will be 2 wk since first one. Will she ever go to setting on nest and hatching these eggs. Did not lay one yesterday but has never gone 2 days without laying and showing no sign of moving to nest today. She is first-time mommy. Any advice on what, if anything, I should do.

 

[Amiga]

Welcome to the duck forum!

I need to let you know that I am a hovering duck mom. Quite protective of my flock. I would make some adjustments for the welfare of your ducks. I know you care about them, so let me share my perspective.

Ducks don't have to be lost to predators or the elements. Shelter that keeps predators out, and keeps the ducks reasonably warm, or cool, and dry, can be found or built. There are all kinds of ideas here in the archives. You can use the search option or ask direct questions by starting a thread.

There need to be more ducks (females) than drakes. Two boys to one girl is likely to lead to harm for her, and she depends on you to protect her life, so think about how you are going to help her out.

A nest in a tree without proper predator protection is unlikely to end well. Sitting ducks are just that. It wrenches my heart to think of her losing her life protecting her nest. I would move the whole shebang into a safe place, as I would rather her lose her broody ideas than her life.

How is her health? How do her feathers look? Any bare spots on the back of her neck? Limping? How does she act around the drakes? Does she try to avoid them? Do they gang up on her?

 

[Jmanvanatta]

Im sorry what kind of ducks are they? I agree you should give her shelter, if not at all times, atleast when she is nesting. (the reason i want to know the breed is some go broody more often)

 

[Jmanvanatta]

HAHAHAHA Just read the title again!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Im sorry what kind of ducks are they? I agree you should give her shelter, if not at all times, atleast when she is nesting. (the reason i want to know the breed is some go broody more often)

Female mallard.