Let her lay or collect? I am confused!

[Nebraskagirl]

My Welsh Harlequin laid her second egg this morning and it was bigger than the first she laid the day before yesterday. She has made a "nest" in her duck box she shares with our WH drake. These are the only two ducks I have and they are locked up at night together in a duck box My question: Do I let her just keep laying and not collect eggs or collect? I collected the egg she laid this morning. I DO want ducklings badly, but not sure how to go about this. I don't have another box to separate the drake and duck at night and they would not do well separated. They just have each other and so far he is very nice to her and doesn't bully.

Any advice or tips would be lovely.

 

[Apyl]

You can let her keep the eggs or collect them, its a personal prefrence. I collected my duck eggs but I'm in Wisconsin and the eggs freeze very fast outside so I brought them in to incubate. As for seperating the ducks, just curious why that would be. I have never heard of seperating the males from females while they sit on eggs.

 

[Nebraskagirl]

You can let her keep the eggs or collect them, its a personal prefrence. I collected my duck eggs but I'm in Wisconsin and the eggs freeze very fast outside so I brought them in to incubate. As for seperating the ducks, just curious why that would be. I have never heard of seperating the males from females while they sit on eggs.

I just wasn't sure if the drake would bother the eggs. We are in Nebraska and it is still really cold here too. I guess if she doesn't sit on them, they would freeze then? I don't want to incubate, I would rather nature do its job and Welsh Harlequins are known to incubate their own eggs so I rather let her do it. I should wait until it warms up a bit to let her sit on them?

 

[missnu01]

More or less yes. Wait until you can go without collecting the eggs, and then don't collect them and hopefully she will go broody...if not you still have the option of bringing those eggs in and incubating them...where as if you leave the eggs out in the cold, and she decides to sit after 5 days of collecting, each egg from the day before might not be viable any longer. That is why I am still taking my chickens eggs. As soon as it is warm enough for the eggs to remain alive without a hen setting on them then I won't be so diligent in my collecting. Spring weather is really perfect for baby poultry.

 

[Nebraskagirl]

More or less yes. Wait until you can go without collecting the eggs, and then don't collect them and hopefully she will go broody...if not you still have the option of bringing those eggs in and incubating them...where as if you leave the eggs out in the cold, and she decides to sit after 5 days of collecting, each egg from the day before might not be viable any longer. That is why I am still taking my chickens eggs. As soon as it is warm enough for the eggs to remain alive without a hen setting on them then I won't be so diligent in my collecting. Spring weather is really perfect for baby poultry.

Thanks for explaining this. I didn't even think of this before she started laying. I didn't think she would lay this early. I was thinking more like March/April. I will wait until late March then. Again, thanks.

 

[Amiga]

I have heard that it's good to wait a few weeks at least, and not let them sit, nor incubate eggs indoors since the first ones might not be as viable as those laid later. Any confirmation on that, hatching friends?

 

[Nebraskagirl]

Thanks Amiga!