muscovy duck

[newbie ducks]

my wild muscovy duck laid 4 eggs since jan 13. the other day there was 5 eggs and today feb 2 there's now 7 eggs.
she been coming to her nest normally alone, but today she had the rest of the family with her.
my guess is either she still laying them or another duck is sharing her nest or maybe she bringing them over from other areas so they all will be in one nest. idk?
keep in mind her nest is about 3 feet from my front door she doesn't have much privacy I did make her a box house & added a window on one side of it so, she can see us coming out of the house. she comes every morning now around sunrise takes care of them & then leaves until the next morning.
I see her every day & talk to her & sometimes to the rest of the family when i also see them.
she normally here when I take my grandson to school & leaves before i get back.
when it gets down to freezing temps at night I put a blanket over her house to help keep the eggs from freezing even though she covers them up with the mulch & shredding pine bedding mix. And just before she comes I remove the blanket didn't want to scare her.
she comes every single day to do her thing & then leaves every day.
will she ever finally stay with them? I'm worried about what if they hatch & she not here at the time do i need to get some live worms to feed them if they do or just let them be until the next morning when she comes?

 

[ruthhope]

Ducks lay eggs 1 each day until they have their clutch of eggs. They then need to sit on them to incubate the eggs so that the fertilized eggs become embryos and develop into ducklings. Your muscovy hasn't started incubating yet. Only once she starts incubating will she need to keep the eggs warm with her body heat.

I don't know where you are, but its a little early for brooding in the wild unless you are in central or south Florida. I am sure she will appreciate the little shelter you have erected when she does start brooding her eggs -- that will take 35 days for muscovy. Other duck species typically incubate eggs for 28 days

 

[Fawkes]

You're in Florida right? We have a lot of feral muscovies here and they sometimes will nest in the winter, although it's not the ideal time of year.

I think it's really sweet how you're making her selected nesting spot comfortable

As ruthhope said, it's only when she's done laying a full clutch of eggs that she'll need to stay on them full-time. When she does that and heats them up, that's when they'll start developing into ducklings.

The reason they don't lay on them until they're done laying all their eggs is because they need all the eggs to hatch at the same time.

Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to lay on eggs and take care of various ages of babies all at once. When the eggs hatch, the ducklings will stay with and follow their mom around. They rely on her to safely bring them to places with food, water, shelter, and keep them warm and protected.

It's different with e.g. parrots, where they have babies hatching on different days and therefore are all developing at different rates. Because parrot babies (and most other bird species) stay in the nest and mom (and/or dad) directly feed them.

 

[Sosalty]

It has to do with a thing called, "going broody." My Muscovy are doing similar to yours. Here's an excellent article:
https://www.tyrantfarms.com/why-and-how-to-make-a-duck-go-broody/

 

[newbie ducks]

ok

 

[newbie ducks]

yes im in north florida. I gave her shredded pine bedding its mixed in with the mulch she likes it. I think its a case of she not done laying all of them just taking her time is why she not staying with them yet. she does also eat whatever is in the grass here at my house & other peoples lawns that she finds & whatever she eats down at the pond. I seen them all going around here. In a way she kinda smart because I have concrete edging all around the flower beds & have one end opened for her & them to get out of the nursery. so I guess the babies can't wonder off to far from her. lol.
I been down to the pond figured I meet all the family & friends over there & gave them a little food. there is other ducks, geese, across the pond big wild turkeys.
all i can do is make them feel comfy & safe & let them do their thing over at my house. =) maybe she just felt they be safer over here from all the other birds.

 

[newbie ducks]

It has to do with a thing called, "going broody." My Muscovy are doing similar to yours. Here's an excellent article:
https://www.tyrantfarms.com/why-and-how-to-make-a-duck-go-broody/

update on mama duck so far she has 11 eggs as of yesterday don't know about today, but she did start to pull out a few of her fluffy feathers put them in her nest. she is still here sitting on her eggs. I think she finally decided to start wanting to stick around, start incubating them. I cooked up some butter nut mixed with yellow, green squash put it in a blender made into a mush only gave her about 2 tablespoons of it on a small lid put it by her nest she ate it. I leave her cracked duck food outside for her, she likes it just thrown out on the grass, so she can still forage for it. shall see if she does stay or not. =)

 

[newbie ducks]

You're in Florida right? We have a lot of feral muscovies here and they sometimes will nest in the winter, although it's not the ideal time of year.

I think it's really sweet how you're making her selected nesting spot comfortable

As ruthhope said, it's only when she's done laying a full clutch of eggs that she'll need to stay on them full-time. When she does that and heats them up, that's when they'll start developing into ducklings.

The reason they don't lay on them until they're done laying all their eggs is because they need all the eggs to hatch at the same time.

Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to lay on eggs and take care of various ages of babies all at once. When the eggs hatch, the ducklings will stay with and follow their mom around. They rely on her to safely bring them to places with food, water, shelter, and keep them warm and protected.

It's different with e.g. parrots, where they have babies hatching on different days and therefore are all developing at different rates. Because parrot babies (and most other bird species) stay in the nest and mom (and/or dad) directly feed them.

I checked her nest today & it looks like this. she leaves in the morning to go stay over at the pond across the street & she comes back in the late afternoon. last night she stayed all night with her eggs. I don't know why 1 egg looks a little yellowish? I put a blanket over her box house today & covered up the side window & gave her more shredded pine bedding now that she has more eggs & its going down into the 30's tonight help keep her warmer at night. she will still go in her house. gave her some more of the corn crackle food & water in case she needs it in the morning. when the weather warms up more I will take off her blanket.

 

[newbie ducks]

Ducks lay eggs 1 each day until they have their clutch of eggs. They then need to sit on them to incubate the eggs so that the fertilized eggs become embryos and develop into ducklings. Your muscovy hasn't started incubating yet. Only once she starts incubating will she need to keep the eggs warm with her body heat.

I don't know where you are, but its a little early for brooding in the wild unless you are in central or south Florida. I am sure she will appreciate the little shelter you have erected when she does start brooding her eggs -- that will take 35 days for muscovy. Other duck species typically incubate eggs for 28 days

Here we go again meet Oreo jr. she’s cookie dough sister another wild duck from the pond. she showed up this morning. She seems to be comfortable with us she knows us she been over here when cookie dough was here. She about to drop eggs. Thing is I covered up the old nest & had a heavy statue over it, but she moved it forward somehow & made nest behind it. I moved the statue out of her way it's in same spot as cookie dough had her babies. The word got out go see the crazy duck grandma she helps us. I guess my house is the duck birthing center. lol.

 

[kaumlauf]

Here we go again meet Oreo jr. she’s cookie dough sister another wild duck from the pond. she showed up this morning. She seems to be comfortable with us she knows us she been over here when cookie dough was here. She about to drop eggs. Thing is I covered up the old nest & had a heavy statue over it, but she moved it forward somehow & made nest behind it. I moved the statue out of her way it's in same spot as cookie dough had her babies. The word got out go see the crazy duck grandma she helps us. I guess my house is the duck birthing center. lol.

Here we go again meet Oreo jr. she’s cookie dough sister another wild duck from the pond. she showed up this morning. She seems to be comfortable with us she knows us she been over here when cookie dough was here. She about to drop eggs. Thing is I covered up the old nest & had a heavy statue over it, but she moved it forward somehow & made nest behind it. I moved the statue out of her way it's in same spot as cookie dough had her babies. The word got out go see the crazy duck grandma she helps us. I guess my house is the duck birthing center. lol.

Enjoy the ride.