Help Required please I don't know what to do...

[alexwilko]

Hello all, I am looking for some help & I know you guys & gals out there can help me as you are an extremely knowledgable lot!

My 10/11 month old call duck has been sitting for last couple of weeks, age is sitting on 7 eggs (I've no idea the exact date tho she started sitting) it's at a guess a good 3 weeks possibly coming up for 4. It started with her not coming out at all, then she was coming out late on in the afternoon for an hour or so & back end of last week she has started coming out twice day, I read this is because it's getting closer to hatch day. But how will I know? Does she know when it's time? Can I leave her to just get on with everything?

I've never done this before & not has she i keep reading stuff on the net buy a lot of it contradicts itself & I just end up getting confused by it! I tried to have a go at candling but I couldn't work out what to actually do, her egg shells are thicker than hen eggs & I cudnt see through it & how am I supposed to get the eggs if she is sitting on them?

Sorry loads of questions but I'm worried incase I should be doing something, kids will be devastated if no chics appear! They are soooooo excited.....

Thank you as always for your help x

 

[SouthernPride]

I think you should leave her alone. She should instinctively know what to do. And, this late in the game you don't want to move the eggs, that could prove to be fatal for them.

 

[Lacrystol]

Hello all, I am looking for some help & I know you guys & gals out there can help me as you are an extremely knowledgable lot!

My 10/11 month old call duck has been sitting for last couple of weeks, age is sitting on 7 eggs (I've no idea the exact date tho she started sitting) it's at a guess a good 3 weeks possibly coming up for 4. It started with her not coming out at all, then she was coming out late on in the afternoon for an hour or so & back end of last week she has started coming out twice day, I read this is because it's getting closer to hatch day. But how will I know? Does she know when it's time? Can I leave her to just get on with everything?

I've never done this before & not has she i keep reading stuff on the net buy a lot of it contradicts itself & I just end up getting confused by it! I tried to have a go at candling but I couldn't work out what to actually do, her egg shells are thicker than hen eggs & I cudnt see through it & how am I supposed to get the eggs if she is sitting on them?

Sorry loads of questions but I'm worried incase I should be doing something, kids will be devastated if no chics appear! They are soooooo excited.....

Thank you as always for your help x

The BEST incubators are MOMMA Ducks, she is a lot more experienced then you could ever be. You must leave her alone, if you keep disturbing her, She will get upset and leave the nest and guess what. NO babies. Momma's know whats right and what's not, what's best and what's not. No need to explain anything to her..

She will get off the nest, she will go for a swim and she will take care of those eggs. You see by her going swimming she is getting those eggs wet, why because that is how she Raises the humidity..

You have got the BEST incubator anyone can every get, so just leave the stress for her. No need to wonder when those babies are coming, your job is to keep an eye outside, when the process is done. YOU get the joy of seeing little babies following her.

My momma duck went out into the woods. YEH, where there's a fox running loose, came home with 7 Little babies behind her. SOOO CUTE. I thought she was dead because she was gone for sooooo long. But NOPE, here she came home with all those little kids.

So sit back, let her do her thing, and enjoy the site once she shows you the results..

 

[Mashallaharabia]

Exactly. Leave the duck to do her thing, she doesn't need you, they've been doing this for a million years. You don't have to handle the eggs or the ducklings at all, that's the best part... keep her fed and with access to water and she'll teach her young where to find food and water, how to swim ( they will get oils from her feathers, so don't worry about them getting too waterlogged) and all that. If some eggs don't hatch, that's natural too, just throw them out without opening them. I have a light chocolate Muscovy sitting on eggs now, first time I've let her keep them ( we sell duck eggs), and she is doing just fine.

 

[alexwilko]

Thanks all much appreciated, we shall be waiting with baited breath & everything crossed for 7 little new arrivals....... Hope they bloody hurry up! Very excited.....

 

[alexwilko]

They have arrived!!!! We have 4 little ones squeaking around, we think they arrived yesterday but I was out of the day & when I checked on her they must have been hiding underneath her, they certainly were not there sat evening when I checked! Was so exciting in our house this morning!

 

[alexwilko]

Ps/
There are still 3 eggs in the nest shud I take them out & put them in the bin? Also I'm not going to be able to keep all the babies

when is it best to take them away from mum? Is there a set time? Thanks xx

 

[Lacrystol]

Ps/
There are still 3 eggs in the nest shud I take them out & put them in the bin? Also I'm not going to be able to keep all the babies

when is it best to take them away from mum? Is there a set time? Thanks xx

NO leave them, WOOO HOOO CONGRADULATIONS>>>>> MOMMYS ARE THE BEST...