If you find the duck's nest......

[ScoobyRoo]

If you find the duck's nest (she is laying

) and remove the eggs and SHE moves to another spot to lay,,,,,does that mean she may be broody?? She is right at 20 weeks old. I believe she is a swedish mix, please don't ask for pic. I'm not smart enough to get them on here.

She is black on her back side with white down her throat, breast and under belly. I really dont have room for more ducks but of course it would be neat to see it done the natural way.
BTW, this being our first experience with ducks why are her eggs soooo dirty?? I do know that they are smoother and waterproof compared to chicken's eggs but why so dirty? To hide them better?

 

[audra]

My ducks tends to move her nest quite often. If it gets dirty, various other reasons. She is quite picky about her nest. However, as far as dirty eggs goes, if I collect my eggs early in the day they tend to be cleaner than if I wait until later in the day. I was fortunate this morning to actually watch my duck lay her egg. It was clean and very warm when I collected it.

 

[hendrix25]

Do you have a drake?? (male) Because if she isn't bred then I don't think she will produce babies. She might go broody but she will be sitting on non fertile eggs and they will rot.

I haven't experienced any eggs yet, beings my ducks are only 17 weeks old, but I sure I will shortly. I know that we get our eggs from a local layer house and they are usually pretty dirty. If you're use to buying your eggs at a store, just remember those eggs go through a good cleaning before they are package for sale. Then again if you raise chicken and they produce eggs, you have something to compare the ducks eggs to. See, if not at the same stage with my ducks so I can't really give and honest answer.

Good luck if she is going broody though!

 

[ScoobyRoo]

Quote:
Oops, forgot about the 'other part'. Yes, we do have a drake but I have not seen anything to hint that they are mating. Do different breeds mate with one another? I have one each of cayuga, KC, Pekin, swedish and a runner. The little cayuga and KC may be drakes since I have not heard them quack. They have the low throaty sound. The pekin sure is a quaker!

I do have chickens but their eggs don't get this dirty. Only if it is raining out. It just looks as if she deliberately coats them with mud (even though I'm not sure where it is coming from as she lays in the middle of my ornamental grasses.) May be its duck poo??

 

[Dances with Ducks]

It's duck poo! Sorry to tell you. When you wash it off use water that is about 10 degrees warmer than the egg, cooler water may cause the bacteria to be drawn into the egg. I just go by feeling that the water is pretty warm, but not too hot.