fully formed but dead Muscovy duckings inside the eggs - why?

[fishdaughter]

Hi again. I posted yesterday about my two Muscovy ducks sitting for 7 weeks and wondering what to do. Yesterday afternoon and this morning, one of the ducks rejected her 4 eggs, so she's obviously given up. I decided to investigate and found fully formed dead ducklings inside (and one unfertilised one). It's heartbreaking. I can only assume the eggs under the other duck will be the same.
Can anyone tell me why this has happened? There were a total of 15 eggs under 2 ducks. Have all the ducklings not been able to peck their way out of the thick shell?
I assumed nature would take it's course and not wanted to intervene too much with the girls, other than ensure they have food and water close by. They chose to sit outside under trees rather than use the little sheds.
It's so sad.
I'm going to have to remove all the eggs from the other duck aren't I, otherwise she's just going to sit and sit and sit......how should I do this without traumatising her too much?
I do hope someone can advise. I'm new to duck keeping.

 

[Ghass]

It happened the same with my Muscovy . Is it the first time your duck is sitting ???

 

[fishdaughter]

Hi Ghass, no I don't think so. We were given the ducks in spring, two ducks, a drake and a youngster hatched last year (that has just started laying eggs). So the duck adult females have sat before...but only one duckling hatched so perhaps this has happened before with one very lucky survivor... Have yours managed to hatch successfully? I'm going to have to be ruthless and just remove all the eggs from the remaining sitting duck aren't I, before the eggs get really rancid? I guess she'll recover.

 

[Ghass]

One of my Muscovy first time broody had problem hatching the eggs and sit about 40 days when I realize that something wrong I start to break the egg and check it . out of 15 ducklings I found 4 still breathing and making sound so I put them back under the duck but my duck first was confused what to do with the duckling but after she cover them all the night and in the morning all 4 looks cute baby duck but none of them survive .I guess this happen because she is first time broody !! anyway she took rest less than 3 weeks and she start laying again now .
so don't worry about your duck she will start laying again just remove the eggs and clean the nest .