First egg? What should I do?

[kesrchicky16]

Oh, right. Like @kesrchicky16 said, you need a boy, and you need the mom to WANT babies (go broody). But then again I don't know ducks but chickens do the same thing. Otherwise without a boy it's just an eating egg.

Like I said ducks and chickens have gone through the same process from wild to domestic. They have different needs to care for then and the flock structure is different but other then that a bird is a bird.

Also at my house we have roos and drakes and all my eggs are just eating eggs anyway. I will gift eggs to broodies in the spring but no incubater here.

 

[ChickenGirl555]

Like I said ducks and chickens have gone through the same process from wild to domestic. They have different needs to care for then and the flock structure is different but other then that a bird is a bird.

True.

 

[kesrchicky16]

She is a buff orpington duck

I don't know the particulars if that breed. Try Wikipedia for breed specifics. I don't remember the duck whisperers on here I'll go figure that out.

Who are her flockmates? Ducks don't generally do well alone.

Also I guess there is a way to have a thread moved to a different forum. This may be better suited in the Duck forum. Less confusion that way.

 

[kesrchicky16]

@Ravynscroft and @WVduckchick care to weigh in on buff Orpington ducks?

 

[Ravynscroft]

Collect the eggs daily, use them for baking, they're amazing for baked goods!

If you don't have a drake, then they won't ever hatch anyways... also, since she just started laying it is not common for them to go broody right away... and younger ducks can be uncertain of what to do about babies... best to let her mature more... and it is an awful time of year for babies, depending on what area you live in?

If she decides to go broody, you will know... and at that point you can decide whether to let her hatch eggs...

 

[WVduckchick]

I'm confused. Did the female duck just start laying eggs and you are asking if you leave them for her to incubate them?

Ducks also need a male for the eggs to be fertile to develop into ducklings, just like chickens and humans need one of each gender. Ducks also go broody like chickens, so if she just started laying, she won't likely want to sit on her first eggs.

 

[WVduckchick]

Collect the eggs daily, use them for baking, they're amazing for baked goods!

If you don't have a drake, then they won't ever hatch anyways... also, since she just started laying it is not common for them to go broody right away... and younger ducks can be uncertain of what to do about babies... best to let her mature more... and it is an awful time of year for babies, depending on what area you live in?

If she decides to go broody, you will know... and at that point you can decide whether to let her hatch eggs...

you owe me a beer.

 

[Ravynscroft]

you owe me a beer.

Settle for a pair of Snowys?

 

[NevilChick]

Incubator is OUT.
Nothing like that excitment of that first egg! And some more?! Should I leave them in her nest so she can lay one by one until all are laid and she can incubate them?

If you have a male and want ducklings, I would leave them there in the nest. Unless she is not broody, she will hatch them out. Only problem I have with some of my chickens is they give up after a few hatch and leave some eggs. I usually put those in the incubator. I would just be sure to keep an eye and know when she stops laying. That way you can know if she gets off the nest early. Good luck!

 

[kesrchicky16]

If you have a male and want ducklings, I would leave them there in the nest. Unless she is not broody, she will hatch them out. Only problem I have with some of my chickens is they give up after a few hatch and leave some eggs. I usually put those in the incubator. I would just be sure to keep an eye and know when she stops laying. That way you can know if she gets off the nest early. Good luck!

That's true too a broody bird stops laying. Think people for a minute. Hormones change for a pregnancy to occur so no more periods. Hormones change to tell a hen to be broody and the egg factory shuts down until the chicks/ducklings are independent or you brake her broody cycle. Also like people eggs start in adolescence but you want to wait until the mom's body is bigger. Pullet (Not sure the right term for ducks) eggs are smaller. Not much room to grow for duckling.