I guess she just isn't a broody duck.

[newchickmom09]

Well as all of you know my female Cocoa started to lay a few months ago. We had a problem with our dogs loving the eggs so she started laying everywhere. We wanted her to sit on some eggs since we want ducklings. Since she was laying everywhere I started to collect her eggs. I collected 10 and made her a nice nest in there dog kennel. I fenced it off so the dogs couldn't get in there and everything. She took NO interest in that idea. So we ate those eggs.

Then she started laying under a hybiscus bush that I have. She dug a nice little nest and started laying there. I put a piece of 2x4 welded wire fencing around the hybiscus so she could fit in there but the dogs couldn't. That is her favorite spot now. I thought well that is great now she will lay her clutch then sit on them.

Well, she lays everyday for 6 days then takes a day off. She is a laying machine.

I left the nest alone for two weeks and she had 13 eggs in the nest and still wasn't doing anything with them. She just lays them then leaves. So I took about 7 that were at the bottom of the pile. She just continues to lay and lay and never sit. If I wouldn't have touched any of the eggs there would be over 30 eggs in that pile from when she found this great spot till now. My hubby thought maybe she wants a huge pile of eggs so I quit picking them up. I went out there yesterday to get an egg since an egg sandwich sounded so good and took one from the bottom of the pile very carefully. I did the water test and it sank and it still smelt and tasted great so the eggs are still good.

After all of this can I assume that she just isn't a broody duck just an egg machine. Or am I still jumping the gun here?

 

[rainplace]

I can't remember what sort of duck Cocoa is.

 

[newchickmom09]

I don't know but when I asked here on BYC I think most said a swedish mix
Here is a pic of her

She is in the back

Here is a pic of her egg she lays next to a white egg

ETA: I wish I knew what she was then all of this would be easy.

 

[rainplace]

Though swedish ducks go broody more than a lot of other domestic breeds, it's not a guarantee.

It's still early in the season. I'd keep taking the bottom eggs and see what happens. Better yet, mark all the eggs with a pencil so you know which ones were laid when and you can always get the oldest. It's possible that she moves them around in the nest too.

 

[newchickmom09]

Quote:
I should be marking them. Didn't think of that.

I guess I will start marking them and just wait and see.