had to move broody duck and her eggs on hatchday, help!!!

[bellah1]

my broody runner duck decided to make her nest outside in the back under the brambles so i move her eggs and her into the coop then she moved them back outside. my daughter tells me there is ants on rubys eggs so i candled and one was rotten the rest look great but no internal pips yet and today sould be the 28th day so i was told by a few people to make a nest in a large dog crate so i did put her good eggs in and then her. she covered them with shavings but wont sit on them she just stands over them! when should i start to worry and put them in the incubator? what should i do im worried i messed up but i was worried the peeping outside unprotected would attract predators. advice please!!!!

 

[sourland]

It sounds as if she will not incubate them in the crate - I would move them to the incubator immediately. The down side is that she will probably not accept them post hatching, and you will need to raise them in a brooder. I was NEVER successful at moving broody ducks - chickens yep, but NEVER ducks.

 

[bellah1]

my only problem is i have a bator full of 14 exspensive shipped eggs & the new 2nd incubator i bought still hasnt been shipped so could put them in with theother eggs?

 

[sourland]

Tough choice, but if it were me, I would be reluctant to endanger the expensive eggs.

 

[bellah1]

Yeah. I let her out and put the eggs in the coop in the nest she had built from the brambles and she went in there so we will see how it goes, but oh my god was she mad at me!