found her first nest, now what!

[pekinpairsmama]

Hi! I have 2 Pekin Ducks that I bought from my local feed store in April. They are between 15 and 17 weeks. the female laid one soft shell stinky egg 10 days ago(in her pool) and since I have been searching the yard every morning and working on a nightime enclosure. Today I found her nest with EIGHTEEN eggs in it. All are hard. All about the same size. They are only slightly bigger than chicken eggs. I marked them with a felt pen so tomorrow I can see if the new egg is edible. Here's my dilemma.

Do I let her sit on and try to hatch the 18?
Do I get rid of those eggs since it's her first laying season?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi! I have 2 Pekin Ducks that I bought from my local feed store in April. They are between 15 and 17 weeks. the female laid one soft shell stinky egg 10 days ago(in her pool) and since I have been searching the yard every morning and working on a nightime enclosure. Today I found her nest with EIGHTEEN eggs in it. All are hard. All about the same size. They are only slightly bigger than chicken eggs. I marked them with a felt pen so tomorrow I can see if the new egg is edible. Here's my dilemma.

Do I let her sit on and try to hatch the 18?
Do I get rid of those eggs since it's her first laying season?

Up to you, is she sitting on the nest at all? if not then you won't be able to make her. Some of those eggs especially the first 1/2 dozen may not be fertile, but if they are mating you probably have some that are. But then again you either need a broody duck or an incubator to get them hatched.

 

[Naunnie]

Hello! Welcome to BYC.

I'm guessing the other one is a Drake.....? Is the "yard" where you found the nest, in a safe enclosure?

 

[pekinpairsmama]

Yes she is sitting on them. I live almost withing city limits and I have a corner lot totally fenced in(chain link). Ihave never seen raccoons but get an opossum a couple times a year. I found them when I was frantically searching for my female. The drake was alone and they are inseperable. They are never morw than a couple feet apart. When I found her she was sitting at the trunk of my palm that is covered in vines that cover her nest like a curtain. No wonder I couldn't find any eggs. She made a nice nest. Is there any way I can tell if they are ferilized? I caught the Drake mounting her about 2 weeks ago.

 

[pekinpairsmama]

 

[pekinpairsmama]

Maybe you can't tell from this picture but she made a very nice round nest about 3 inches deep. When I found her sitting on them it was 8 am and 84 degrees already but they felt much warmer than air temp. Does she need to be sitting on t hem more than at night only? Have been in the back yard allday and she hasnt gone to them ....but its florida 95 everyday this time of year

 

[Miss Lydia]

Maybe you can't tell from this picture but she made a very nice round nest about 3 inches deep. When I found her sitting on them it was 8 am and 84 degrees already but they felt much warmer than air temp. Does she need to be sitting on t hem more than at night only? Have been in the back yard allday and she hasnt gone to them ....but its florida

95 everyday this time of year

Listen it doesn't matter how secluded she may have her nest preds are everywhere I'd be really worried about leaving her and nest outside over night. You don't lock them up at all? But if your willing to take the risk.? If you have temps in the mid 90's she would probably cook them if she sat on them. But she may just not be ready to commit full time yet either. The only way to tell if fertile is to candle and you have to wait about 7 days into her sitting full time or take a couple of the eggs and crack them open if fertile you'll see what is called the bulls eye in the yolk that's a fertile egg.

 

[13 chickens]

 

[pekinpairsmama]

If I move the nest in hopes of a few possibly hatching, what are the chances, do you think of her abandoning her nest?

 

[pekinpairsmama]

Not sitting on them at all even though she's locked up with them, I mean. I was thinking of using my outdoor florida room dusk till dawn.