mikadivalia
In the Brooder
- Apr 27, 2017
- 4
- 1
- 12
Hello-
I am a fairly new duck owner. We reside on a farm, and our ducks currently live in a large fenced in secure area. We have provided them with a pond and large coop. We have grown from two rescue ducks (long story) to a small flock. We absolutely love our ducks and feel we have been researching their care and providing for them. Our current issue is the egg situation which we were not prepared for. We do have currently 2 adult male and 3 female. Our hens build nest-not always in the coop and sit on them. Specifically-at this time we have two broody hens. One in the coop, one in a nest behind. The one in the coop will leave only for a short time to eat. She is extremely aggressive and hisses if you go near her so we limit any outside contact (kids etc). The other leaves more frequently, however her nest is not in a place easy to reach. My third hen is not currently laying. Normally, the books I ready talk about gathering, and an incubator and such. I'm not sure what we are supposed to be doing if we are gathering eggs to eat?? Are we supposed to be taking them before they get to this point? We check our ducks every morning and night. It seems like we let them sit on these nest, and then we have several abandoned nest full of eggs and it's a waste. We have yet to have a single duckling hatch from a clutch.
My ducks are very well taken care of-but I am very ignorant on this egg thing and I'm asking for education. I want to do the right thing and eliminate the waste. I've had neighbors who have started asking for duck eggs as well, and I am embarrassed to admit I haven't even used one.
I am a fairly new duck owner. We reside on a farm, and our ducks currently live in a large fenced in secure area. We have provided them with a pond and large coop. We have grown from two rescue ducks (long story) to a small flock. We absolutely love our ducks and feel we have been researching their care and providing for them. Our current issue is the egg situation which we were not prepared for. We do have currently 2 adult male and 3 female. Our hens build nest-not always in the coop and sit on them. Specifically-at this time we have two broody hens. One in the coop, one in a nest behind. The one in the coop will leave only for a short time to eat. She is extremely aggressive and hisses if you go near her so we limit any outside contact (kids etc). The other leaves more frequently, however her nest is not in a place easy to reach. My third hen is not currently laying. Normally, the books I ready talk about gathering, and an incubator and such. I'm not sure what we are supposed to be doing if we are gathering eggs to eat?? Are we supposed to be taking them before they get to this point? We check our ducks every morning and night. It seems like we let them sit on these nest, and then we have several abandoned nest full of eggs and it's a waste. We have yet to have a single duckling hatch from a clutch.
My ducks are very well taken care of-but I am very ignorant on this egg thing and I'm asking for education. I want to do the right thing and eliminate the waste. I've had neighbors who have started asking for duck eggs as well, and I am embarrassed to admit I haven't even used one.
