Incubator question

[Lakota13]

My Pekin female has been sitting on a nest of about 20 - 24 eggs for close to a month. She was bred by my male muscovy, which will make the ducklings Mullards ( mule ducks). Does anyone know if I can take the eggs and put them in an incubator since she has sat on them for so long. We were thinking of collecting the eggs and putting them in the incubator but I want to make sure that it is safe to do so. My pond is not large enough to accomodate that many ducks and I know that once she hatches them, it is going to be really hard to catch all of them to sell..Thanks in advance for any feedback you may have!

 

[AmberRex]

Yep you could take them but really it might be fairer for her to leave her three or four just to kind of reward her for her hard work and to encourage her to brood there again or else she might go on holidays for a month instead and you might not know where she is ( Jemima Puddleduck) ... To be honest. if you waited until they are hatched or finishing pipping then she will have done all of the hard work and you can take them and but them under a heat lamp/ brooder/incubator before they are strong enough to be wandering around. This saves you trying to do the humidity control and temperature and she doesn't feel completely dejected but your pond isn't overcrowded. You just have to be careful that they don't get too cold as you move them or that she doesn't get so stressed as to leave her nest completely and not go back to it at all. ( she may leave for a few minutes while you are there) Hope this helps!

 

[Lakota13]

Thank you so much! I have the incubator up to temperature and it is ready to go! I do plan on leaving her a few eggs so that she can finish laying on them. She has been a great mom and deserves to raise a few of her ducklings! Another question that I have is: It's fairly warm out today, but should I warm up a towel to cover the eggs to bring them up to the house?

 

[Lakota13]

Thanks for the help!

 

[AmberRex]

Well if your incubator isn't far away then they won't lose much heat I would just take them and move. Remember that mummy will leave the nest for up to 40 minutes to bathe, eat or drink.

 

[AmberRex]

You're welcome!!!

 

[Lakota13]

Thanks! We "raided" the nest yesterday and took out 18 eggs and left 6 for her. She wasn't a happy camper while we were doing it but she doesn't seem stressed about it, she is still laying on her nest.(thank goodness!). Shouldn't be too long before we have ducklings!

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[AmberRex]

No problem. I'm glad I could help!