Muscovy Hen

Theducklady1

In the Brooder
May 31, 2021
12
7
14
I am relatively new to ducks and homesteading. A few months ago I acquired 5 muscovy ducks, 4 hens and 1 drake. Eventually they started laying eggs, our first Lady successfully hatched 8 eggs (was sitting on 10). All other ladies are all sitting on nests as well. The issue is one hen that initially had 6 eggs. Last week we found one egg out in the duck run, crushed with a partially developed duckling. Again today, another one of her eggs was out in the run crushed with a duckling inside. Why is this happening? Is it something she would do herself? A predator? The other ducks and geese ganging up on her?
 
A similar thing happened to me with my first hatching and when I attempted to hatch chicken eggs under my muscovy hen - I believe one of the other hens are attempting to steal the eggs.
With my first hatch I didn't realize it, but found a partially hatched egg in the run. With the one sitting on chicken eggs, one of the other hens stole a hatching egg. My broody was mad and took back a duck egg - I found the chicken egg in a different nest. My broody muscovy girl also would chase a certain duck around any time she saw her. So, I think it was that one duck that was stealing eggs.
How I figured this all out was because the muscovy love to lay eggs in the chicken nest boxes and the hatching eggs were from another farm plus were marked so I knew what eggs were supposed to be under the muscovy.
 
A similar thing happened to me with my first hatching and when I attempted to hatch chicken eggs under my muscovy hen - I believe one of the other hens are attempting to steal the eggs.
With my first hatch I didn't realize it, but found a partially hatched egg in the run. With the one sitting on chicken eggs, one of the other hens stole a hatching egg. My broody was mad and took back a duck egg - I found the chicken egg in a different nest. My broody muscovy girl also would chase a certain duck around any time she saw her. So, I think it was that one duck that was stealing eggs.
How I figured this all out was because the muscovy love to lay eggs in the chicken nest boxes and the hatching eggs were from another farm plus were marked so I knew what eggs were supposed to be under the muscovy.
Wow! That never even crossed my mind
 
I would say its attempts at nicking eggs from one another. I had this, caught on camera (I thought it was rats) but obviously they break the eggs rather than a successful heist. You'd be better taking the offending hen out of the enclosure or incubating the eggs yourself. Since this post is a month old, how did it turn out? (I rescued the eggs and incubated them myself)
Wow! That never even crossed my mind
 
We opted to leave her few eggs under her to see if she would hatch them but in the end, she ended up with one egg left which hatched unsuccessfully. It was definitely a learning experience, and I'm still unsure of what exactly happened.
 
Is she a new broody? I've had that happen with my Muscovy females brooding for the first time. That's how I ended up being a mama duck. This duck was trying to kill her duckling and thank goodness I walked in the coop in the nick of time. She did get to the other one. Next year she was first to go broody again so I was going to be ready and take the ducklings. She was the best mama you could ask for. I am so glad I gave her a second chance. One thing I have learned over the many years of having Muscovy is those girls like their privacy when brooding.
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom