Female Muscovy Duck Squealing

[sbono]

My female Muscovy duck is less than a year old. This is her second round of egg laying. She laying proper hard shelled eggs and has never made a soft-shelled egg. She is usually laughing and running around in the backyard, but for the last few weeks she has been stuck to her nest not leaving it to eat, drink, poo, or walk around. She doesn't poo or eat or drink when in her nest. We only have the one duck and so I know she's not nesting. Even when we take away her egg after a few hours she goes back there and sits for hours and hours. She fluffs her feathers up and squeals when we go near her. She never used to do this. She recently attacked my sister for nothing (something she doesn't ever do) and chasing the dogs. We have to physically take her nest away for her to eat, drink, poo and walk around.
What do I do?

 

[8GeeseALaying]

Shes broody. Are you saying you only have one duck meaning there is no drake to go with her? She doesnt have to have a male to go broody/nesting. She will still want to sit even though the eggs are infertile.

 

[Going Quackers]

Yep, she's broody! doesn't matter if she lacks a mate, the instinct with Muscovy is very, very strong. There are several ways people handle this, i usually remove the eggs before it gets that far, if it's that far it's harder, she sounds in full on broody mode!

Do you have Storey's guide to ducks? he has advice in there on how to break a broody, or search on here. Usually, for mine removal of the eggs(now this may need to be done many times) is enough but that depends on the bird and how in deep they are into the process, i also have drakes so my birds have a genuine possibility of having nests(and do.)

 

[sbono]

Hi all,
Thanks for the help. After reading your comments I read up on brooding in Storey's Guide to Ducks and now feel better about the situation.
Thanks again

 

[Amiga]

 

[Going Quackers]

Excellent!