Found our first egg...Now what?

[tull14]

So tonight when my son and I walked into the duck pen to feed them, my son found a egg. A hole had been dug and the egg laid in the hole. Of course my son who is 3 picked the egg up. To me it looked smaller than a chicken egg, is this normal? It was kind of oblong with a grayish tint to it. We have mallards and a male and female Peking, so I'm not sure who laid the egg. We got them at the end of March so they are around 20weeks. I haven't noticed any ducks in particular spending time in the pen, so how do we know if its a fertile egg or if the mother will even sit on it? This is our first time with ducks so this is new. Thank you.

 

[Amiga]

First eggs are often small, or funny shaped, sometimes have to yolk. I have read that it is best to not try to incubate for the first few weeks, till the egg laying systems get into sync.

If it has not been muddy or filthy, you could rinse it off and open it and eat it, seems to me.

 

[tull14]

Ok so the first egg we removed from the nest. We didn't notice anymore eggs in that spot, looked around in their run and hidden under a wooden structure there were 4 eggs in the nest. I want to let the duck (whichever laid them) try and hatch them out. When will we start noticing a broody duck if she decides to go broody?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Ok so the first egg we removed from the nest. We didn't notice anymore eggs in that spot, looked around in their run and hidden under a wooden structure there were 4 eggs in the nest. I want to let the duck (whichever laid them) try and hatch them out. When will we start noticing a broody duck if she decides to go broody?

First she'll want to sit on the eggs at night, then she'll go to brooding 24/7 she may even lay on the some during the day too, but it's usually at night when they start up then go to full time. You also have to realize not all ducks will brood so you'll just have to leave the eggs alone [making sure if someone starts to sit] that they are in a safe protected shelter. You may just get a broody.

 

[tull14]

Ok sounds good. We are going to leave them alone but I will check daily to see if there are more eggs. I'm almost certain that it is one of my mallard ducks that is laying. They aren't quite big enough to be Pekin and from what I've read Pekin are white eggs and mallards are greenish/gray. So we will see what happens

 

[Miss Lydia]

Ok sounds good. We are going to leave them alone but I will check daily to see if there are more eggs. I'm almost certain that it is one of my mallard ducks that is laying. They aren't quite big enough to be Pekin and from what I've read Pekin are white eggs and mallards are greenish/gray. So we will see what happens

If a mallard then you'll probably have a better chance of a broody, although there are some on here that have had good success with Pekins being broody too. Keep us updated on progress

 

[tull14]

I'm hoping, my 3 year old loves his ducks and he is excited about the eggs so we will hope for something