Help me get my runner duck broody?

[Skink]

My house duck, a fawn & white runner named Olive, hasn't been laying super long (started 08/13) and she is already a chronic problem layer. We've encountered egg binding and yolk loose in the oviduct (luckily not the abdomen) multiple times, and she lays incredibly often. She lays massive double yolkers (shelled) very frequently, often times twice a week. Her regular eggs are bigger than her head already as it is and she has knicked her poor vent on them twice now. We've been working with our vet to treat these issues as they come but at this point it seems fairly obvious that we're playing with fire here and we need to take a preventative route or one of these times something is going to happen and we won't be able to fix it. We got her two hormonal implants today that will hopefully shut her down but there is no guarantee. On top of that we were asked to remove anything she is sexually attracted to, stop petting her back (luckily doesn't happen much already,) and to shorten her photo-period.

He especially wanted us to try to get her brooding. She won't lay while nesting or raising young, and brooding/mothering is apparently a progesterone thing so it won't be altered by the implants (which is dealing with estrogen.) I know that I need to let her keep a nest of eggs rather than taking them from her and that is about it! She has never shown interest in going broody and I have never had a broody duck before. I did explain her breed is one known for being disinclined sitters. He suggested she might adopt if presented with ducklings and switch right in to momma mode if we really can't get her to brood, but I'm not super keen.

Is there anything I can do to to further encourage brooding? Getting her a boyfriend is a definite no-no. Other than that and giving her a super nice extra soft nesting spot I haven't got any ideas. The last resort if none of this does it is a preventative hysterectomy and that is a HUGE risk, I want to exhaust everything else before considering it. Sorry to be so verbose but hopefully the details will help someone else.


Please don't suggest culling. If it isn't obvious already, she is our pet!

 

[CoopintheWoods]

Sometimes birds will brood if you leave fake eggs in the nest box.

 

[Skink]

Sometimes birds will brood if you leave fake eggs in the nest box.

Oh yeah! He mentioned trying that and it completely slipped my mind. I don't have any fakes but I still have some of hers that I can give right back to her. I have a feeling they'll just end up buried in her bedding and forgotten by her but trying is better than nothin'

 

[Miss Lydia]

Oh yeah! He mentioned trying that and it completely slipped my mind. I don't have any fakes but I still have some of hers that I can give right back to her. I have a feeling they'll just end up buried in her bedding and forgotten by her but trying is better than nothin'

You can buy fake eggs are some stores that sell craft things. and also Premier1 has them I bought them for my goose and ducks and chickens. The goose size is really more duck size I think. They look just like a real egg.

I can tell she is very special duck I love my Runners and can't imagine going through what you all are it has to really be worrisome. But really other than trying the fake eggs I have no idea . I will say if I didn't pick up eggs morning I'd have at least 1-2 of my Runners brooding.So I hope the eggs work if you go that route.

 

[Skink]

You can buy fake eggs are some stores that sell craft things. and also Premier1 has them I bought them for my goose and ducks and chickens. The goose size is really more duck size I think. They look just like a real egg.

I can tell she is very special duck I love my Runners and can't imagine going through what you all are it has to really be worrisome. But really other than trying the fake eggs I have no idea . I will say if I didn't pick up eggs morning I'd have at least 1-2 of my Runners brooding.So I hope the eggs work if you go that route.

If her eggs become a problem I will check a craft store and see if I can't find what I used for my pullets in the coop. I found realistic looking plastic eggs for way cheap! That was around easter though. I did give her back 4 of her own eggs and she was very excited and gingerly rolled them around with gentle beak touches so I'm hopeful!

I think part of our trouble may be that she is indoors, so hopefully you never run in to something like this with your hens! Sometimes a light gets turned on where she is in the middle of the night or she ends up staying with me while I work late (sleeping, but there is still a light source.) She was not happy to be put in the closet at sun down! Every time I walk past and she realizes I'm not opening the door I hear those annoyed giggles she does

 

[Miss Lydia]

If her eggs become a problem I will check a craft store and see if I can't find what I used for my pullets in the coop. I found realistic looking plastic eggs for way cheap! That was around easter though. I did give her back 4 of her own eggs and she was very excited and gingerly rolled them around with gentle beak touches so I'm hopeful!

I think part of our trouble may be that she is indoors, so hopefully you never run in to something like this with your hens! Sometimes a light gets turned on where she is in the middle of the night or she ends up staying with me while I work late (sleeping, but there is still a light source.) She was not happy to be put in the closet at sun down! Every time I walk past and she realizes I'm not opening the door I hear those annoyed giggles she does

Yep sniff test often with real eggs. lol

Poor thing having to be kept in the dark. @Tevyes Dad has been going through something similar with his duck Casey..