How Long can a Setting Duck be Safely off the Nest?

[swampducks]

My Indian Runner started setting on eggs Thursday. Yesterday she was off for about 20 minutes when her buddies coaxed her to go down to the pond edge. I shook the food can and she came back and stayed the rest of the day as far as I know.

Today she followed them to the creek (which actually has open water, the pond is still frozen) and spent about 75 minutes there before any food can shaking could get her back. The nest is in the garage in a box and I figure the room was about 50 degrees.

I haven't found any info on-line about this. I'm hoping these little excursions won't hurt.

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

They can be off for a while. Waterfowl take breaks to get wet, they need to add moisture to the eggs. Did she cover her eggs with straw and all that?

 

[swampducks]

Did she cover her eggs with straw and all that?

No, they are in a bed of straw, in fact some at the edges are practically buried but she didn't throw any on top. And there are 19 of them in there! The rouens keep adding. I finally marked them all with a black sharpie, tomorrow, if there are any new ones I can take them out. I don't think her butt is big enough to cover them all.

Thanks for your reply.