Muscovy duck/egg questions

[Happyfarmwife]

Hi, we have 4 muscovy hens who just began to lay this January. I have had 3 males with them until day before yesterday when I gave two away. Too many males and they were fighting.....

My question is this, I have a hen who has started sitting on a nest in the chicken house where all the ducks go to lay. She pulled feathers out to line the nest.

Anyway, I haven't actually seen any mating going on. Of course that could happen in the mornings or evening in the barn before I let them outside for the day.

I had been seeing them mate in January and February. My question is if they aren't mating right now will the eggs be fertile? I dont' know how long a "mating" is good for. Sounds silly, but I just have no idea, and thought someone here would know for sure.

Thanks! I am hoping for a batch of new Muscovy ducklings this year! These ducks will be one year in June by the way.

 

[jvls1942]

I would like to know the "how long"

answer also.. I cannot believe with that many males, your hen was not bred..

I would let her go ahead with the hatching..

 

[Happyfarmwife]

We intend to let the duck go ahead and sit on her eggs. We now have another duck sitting today and a chicken! Poor chicken is not going to get her babies as we don't have a rooster.

We hope we get ducklings though.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Well, I know if you are wanting to make sure your birds aren't fertile, you are supposed to wait at least 3 weeks. You can always check the eggs and see if they are developing. And give that poor chicken some duck eggs! I would hate to let one of mine set so long for nothing!

 

[jvls1942]

we had a turkey who sat on an empty nest for weeks..she could not lay eggs any more.. finally I gave her some guinea eggs that were due to hatch in a couple of days.. she hatched out four of them and raised them.. she did a much better job than the guinea hens do...

I use chickens for any type of egg..
you name the typical barn yard egg and my chickens have hatched it...

 

[Happyfarmwife]

We just got our order of chicks from Welp last Wed. I wish I could have let her raise some of the chicks. But I am afraid she wouldn't take care of them.

I guess we could give her some duck eggs if she insists. Usually we just take her off the nest and they give up after a few days. It is a Buff Orpington.

Now after our new Sussex rooster gets grown up, they can all sit on eggs next year if they like.

 

[Happyfarmwife]

Quote:
Now that is helpful information! They more than likely are fertile, like was said before with the ratio of males to females we had.

 

[goosedragon]

If anyone tries Shelleyed's advise remember that Muscovy eggs take around 35 days to hatch, chicken take much less time. Also hens have been known to realize that the peeps are not chicks and kill them at hatch. ~gd

 

[jvls1942]

Quote:
what??

 

[Happyfarmwife]

Quote:
And then again chickens have been used for years to hatch out other poultry successfully. Especially the little Banty hens.

Well I did give my Buff Orpington a couple of duck eggs, so we shall see if she is successful.

My one Muscovy hen gets to chattering this funny sound when I walk into the hen house. She is letting me know she will have none of me messing around with her and her nest.

The other two hens get off the nest every day and go outside. I don't think they can be hatching eggs that way. They do cover them up when they get off the nest. Who knows? Maybe they are still laying and think they don't have enough eggs yet for sitting.

Here is a photo of my ducks and the Buff on the nests and one of the eggs that get left all day.