Muscovy duck hen question..

[ladyh]

My Muscovy hen laid a bunch of eggs and started brooding the first week of April...3rd week of May hatched two died in shell rest turned black and two survived but the one died. So she has one little one following her...She is now laying more eggs yesterday...is that normal for her to start laying again so soon a week and a half after first eggs hatched? I though it was the other female..but I saw it was her laying again. I also thought when she has chick(s) they don't lay eggs again.

 

[sourland]

That's early to start a second clutch in my experience. Perhaps she was triggered by the fact that she only had one duckling. Make sure that her new nest site is clean and dry, and perhaps she will be more successful this time.

 

[ladyh]

Her first site was clean and dry as well! I have been reading a lot of people having had low hatch rates and dead chicks in shell.

That's early to start a second clutch in my experience. Perhaps she was triggered by the fact that she only had one duckling. Make sure that her new nest site is clean and dry, and perhaps she will be more successful this time.

 

[Going Quackers]

Sounds awful soon, but i do get the issues.. while i am not purposefully encouraging nests here, i am seeing bad all 'round. Even my calls have failed but our weather is terrible up/down like crazy and way to much rain... (not that the nests are outside but meaning humidity levels etc)

Is she caring for the singular? I had a mama last year hatch a pekin(she's a scovie) and took care of it while waiting on the scovie eggs to hatch lol.

 

[sjshaw1980]

I've hatched out 3.5 clutches so far this year. Clutch #1, incubator ebay BCM eggs, 4/10 eggs hatched (1 roo and a possible pullet for sale! PM me if interested). Clutch 2, also ebay maran eggs (same batch), incubated under a broody bantam silkie, 1/3 hatched. Clutch #3, 25 eggs from a friend plus 8 CCL, all fresh and local, 13 hatched - only one CCL, 12 from my friend's birds. Clutch #4, 7 duck eggs currently percolating under a big broody cochin, one I pulled yesterday b/c it was clearly bad. The others we are going to candle when it gets a little darker out.
I normally have close to 100% hatch rates even with my inaccurate hovabator, but this year I've had a lot of chicks dying in the shell at about day 18. Still scratching my head trying to figure it out.

 

[ladyh]

Yes my mallard...all her eggs black none hatched... however now, a month later she had laid eggs again and is currently brooding.

Yes the muscovy hen I guess is caring for it. the baby follows her around and the male is sticking close but he sorta pecks at it (not hurting it). He is, however, mounting the female again. I have 3 eggs from this hen right now, anticipating her usual 10 before brooding, in a new location, so she won't be taking care of the the baby in about 7 days. I do have another female, and she is just a year old, but I have not seen any eggs from her at all.

I think the baby, 2 weeks old, is able to take care if itself...I'm sure it will just follow everybody LOL.. I'm in a desert type climate, no rain. They all have access to water 24/7.

Sounds awful soon, but i do get the issues.. while i am not purposefully encouraging nests here, i am seeing bad all 'round. Even my calls have failed but our weather is terrible up/down like crazy and way to much rain... (not that the nests are outside but meaning humidity levels etc)

Is she caring for the singular? I had a mama last year hatch a pekin(she's a scovie) and took care of it while waiting on the scovie eggs to hatch lol.

 

[Going Quackers]

Yes my mallard...all her eggs black none hatched... however now, a month later she had laid eggs again and is currently brooding.

Yes the muscovy hen I guess is caring for it. the baby follows her around and the male is sticking close but he sorta pecks at it (not hurting it). He is, however, mounting the female again. I have 3 eggs from this hen right now, anticipating her usual 10 before brooding, in a new location, so she won't be taking care of the the baby in about 7 days. I do have another female, and she is just a year old, but I have not seen any eggs from her at all.

I think the baby, 2 weeks old, is able to take care if itself...I'm sure it will just follow everybody LOL.. I'm in a desert type climate, no rain. They all have access to water 24/7.

Okay well keep a close eye on it, to ensure it gets enough to eat and isn't picked on. I had a duck she'd mind her kids for like 2/3wks then grew tired of it.... needless to say after a couple rounds of this i ceased letting her set.

It did help they were multiples though and i became the person to put them away each night...

 

[ladyh]

I usually incubate in my hovabator, but wanted the broody hens to do it...as they are supposed to know what to do LOL... I thought seasonal layers were only once seasonal, but 2-3 times seasonal. Ha..what do I know! My RIR hid 20 eggs and was brooding and one by one the eggs disappeared...I realized none of those eggs were fertile as the roo wasn't mounting the two I have in a different area. Mamas seem to know the difference!

I've hatched out 3.5 clutches so far this year. Clutch #1, incubator ebay BCM eggs, 4/10 eggs hatched (1 roo and a possible pullet for sale! PM me if interested). Clutch 2, also ebay maran eggs (same batch), incubated under a broody bantam silkie, 1/3 hatched. Clutch #3, 25 eggs from a friend plus 8 CCL, all fresh and local, 13 hatched - only one CCL, 12 from my friend's birds. Clutch #4, 7 duck eggs currently percolating under a big broody cochin, one I pulled yesterday b/c it was clearly bad. The others we are going to candle when it gets a little darker out.
I normally have close to 100% hatch rates even with my inaccurate hovabator, but this year I've had a lot of chicks dying in the shell at about day 18. Still scratching my head trying to figure it out.

 

[Going Quackers]

I've hatched out 3.5 clutches so far this year. Clutch #1, incubator ebay BCM eggs, 4/10 eggs hatched (1 roo and a possible pullet for sale! PM me if interested). Clutch 2, also ebay maran eggs (same batch), incubated under a broody bantam silkie, 1/3 hatched. Clutch #3, 25 eggs from a friend plus 8 CCL, all fresh and local, 13 hatched - only one CCL, 12 from my friend's birds. Clutch #4, 7 duck eggs currently percolating under a big broody cochin, one I pulled yesterday b/c it was clearly bad. The others we are going to candle when it gets a little darker out.
I normally have close to 100% hatch rates even with my inaccurate hovabator, but this year I've had a lot of chicks dying in the shell at about day 18. Still scratching my head trying to figure it out.

That is interesting you've had so many issues, especially given it's through an incubator i have never used one, couldn't handle the stress lol. Hard enough with birds doing it, many of the bantams require assistance regardless. Good luck with your hatches!

 

[ladyh]

Good idea.. I'm always out there anyway. If it's not being take care of I can separate it and make sure it's taken care of, even is I have to keep in a large dog crate in the house until it's bigger

Okay well keep a close eye on it, to ensure it gets enough to eat and isn't picked on. I had a duck she'd mind her kids for like 2/3wks then grew tired of it.... needless to say after a couple rounds of this i ceased letting her set.

It did help they were multiples though and i became the person to put them away each night...