Indian Runner Sitting on Nest - Advice Appreciated!

[lklascala]

My hubby and decided to hatch our own Indian Runner and mallard ducks last year. After a horrible hawk and eagle raid, we were left with one female Indian Runner, 1 Runner drake, and 1 mallard drake. My Indian Runner female has now decided she would like to lay on her nest of 15 eggs. As the time for hatching gets closer, a litany of questions arise:
- Will all of them hatch?
- At any point should we have to intervene during the hatching process?
- How do we know if she is going to be a good mother?
- Do we have to create a separate area for her and the ducklings away from the drake?
- Will her ducklings take to being around humans as well as she did?
- Her personality has certainly changed since sitting. Will she continue to be moody or will I get my loveable duck back?
I know this is a lot, but any insight is certainly appreciated!

 

[Stipenvlerk]

Will all of them hatch? The only way to know this is to watch and see
- At any point should we have to intervene during the hatching process? I would try to let nature run it course
- How do we know if she is going to be a good mother? Again, You'll see when the little ones arrive!
- Do we have to create a separate area for her and the ducklings away from the drake? Yes, It would be safer to guard mom and children from your drakes until they are a little older
- Will her ducklings take to being around humans as well as she did? You have to spend time with them, a lot of time, to make this happen. Chances are they are a little more skittish, but eventually they will probably be easy around humans as she is.
- Her personality has certainly changed since sitting. Will she continue to be moody or will I get my loveable duck back? I think she will, but it might take a while.

 

[theycallmechickmagnet]

runners are the absolute best hatchers and mommas! our girl Missy laid 18 eggs
4 didn't hatch- 2 stopped developing, 1 egg got eaten by a drake, and 1 was very late (she stopped sitting on the eggs 2 days earlier, we didn't know one was still alive. when we opened the egg it died. looked like it had about 2-3 more days left)
so 14 babies hatched but sadly 1 baby wandered off and disappeared during the night. there was 3 different dads so they were all so cute!
dads: black runner, buff, and ?mystery? (we had like 10 drakes at the time the eggs were being laid, but we had to sell most of them)

my welsh harlequin Felicia on the other hand laid 15 eggs at the same time as Missy and failed to hatch any at all.. so yeah don't depend on them all she cared about was making a very tall and pretty nest, so she had a layer of eggs then a layer of hay (repeat) it was pretty gross to get rid of the nest when she was done tho. digging out a bunch of unpredictable exploding egg mines lol

 

[theycallmechickmagnet]

also don't go near them when they are on the nest or they'll be kinda cranky and run around screaming upset. dare go near the nest and she'll turn into a snake, hissing and bitey. pretty spooky when you see a angry momma duck. i'm just glad they wouldn't dare to chase me hahah cuz that is terrifying (happened with a wild duck before)

 

[Miss Lydia]

I love to candle eggs while they are developing under my muscovy, You're really missing out if your not looking, it's so cool to see the development of the duckling, chick or other poultry.