my 6 month old ducks

[ewaugaman]

Hi everyone

My question is,,,,,,,,,,, I have a male and female duck, My female (Gloria) lays an egg every couple days. My male duck (Donald) stays with the three eggs that are in the nest.. He made the nest and he is more interested about the eggs then Gloria is, she is not a bit concerned.
Donald will stay with the eggs not laying on them but like guarding them, Gloria is on the other side of there house making the most loudliest quacking sounds ever, he is still in there house trying to answer her.
Now my question is, should I pull those eggs or should I leave them, they are now about three days old. is this teaching? meaning keeping the eggs there? I should say is this teaching Donald? I was told to leave them, but it does not sound right to me. what should I do, and why won't she sit on them? why won't she stay in the coop??? I need to know what I should do.

Thank you. Edie

 

[Kevin565]

Are you completely sure that Donald is a male? It's not very normal for Drake to sit on the nest. I would be afraid he would abandon them have way through.

 

[ewaugaman]

WELL IN THERE LITTLE POND, HE.............i THIUGHT, WAS ON TOP OF HER MATING WITH HER, BUT NO i AM NOT SURE, NOW I DON'T KNOW. ONE DAY I LOOKED IN THE COOP AND DONALD THAT ALL THIS TIME THOUGHT WAS THE MALE WAS MAKING A NEST WITH THE HAY I HAVE IN THERE COOP, THE MALE I THOIUGHT IS A BLACK CRESSENT DUCK, SHE (I THOUGHT) IS A BROWN WITH PRETTY BLUE IN HERE.
NOW GLORIA IS A LOT FULLER WITH DOWN ON HER BAKE SIDE, WHERE DONALD IS NOT NEAR AS FULL, OH MY NOW WHAT SHOULD I DO? HE WALKED RIGHT IN THE COOP WHEN IT WAS GETTING DARKER, AND I ALWAYS HAVE TO COST GLORIA IN THE COOP, OK, EXPLAIN, WHAT SHOULD I DO? HOW CAN I TELL THE MALE FROM THE FEMALE??????? "HELP!!!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

WELL IN THERE LITTLE POND, HE.............i THIUGHT, WAS ON TOP OF HER MATING WITH HER, BUT NO i AM NOT SURE, NOW I DON'T KNOW. ONE DAY I LOOKED IN THE COOP AND DONALD THAT ALL THIS TIME THOUGHT WAS THE MALE WAS MAKING A NEST WITH THE HAY I HAVE IN THERE COOP, THE MALE I THOIUGHT IS A BLACK CRESSENT DUCK, SHE (I THOUGHT) IS A BROWN WITH PRETTY BLUE IN HERE.
NOW GLORIA IS A LOT FULLER WITH DOWN ON HER BAKE SIDE, WHERE DONALD IS NOT NEAR AS FULL, OH MY NOW WHAT SHOULD I DO? HE WALKED RIGHT IN THE COOP WHEN IT WAS GETTING DARKER, AND I ALWAYS HAVE TO COST GLORIA IN THE COOP, OK, EXPLAIN, WHAT SHOULD I DO? HOW CAN I TELL THE MALE FROM THE FEMALE??????? "HELP!!!!!

What breed are you talking about? drakes will get a curled tail feather at the end of their backs and will make a rasping noise where the girls will honk real loud, unless you have Muscovies.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

ducks even in all female flocks will display breeding behavior mounting each other. Even when you do have males and females you DONT have to leave the eggs. Collecting daily and baking with or eating them is the norm. Just because you have a male and female (when in fact you know the genders) does not mean the eggs have to be left in the nest and allowed to incubate and hatch. YES you can eat fertile eggs without any ill effect, collect daily and store properly.

 

[ewaugaman]

thank you for responding, Donald is a crested duck, he has a big pompom on top of his heard, his tale does not curl at the end, he hasn't made a raspy sound, but quacks quite a bit.
Gloria, she is full, I really don't know what kind of duck she is, she is has browns & whites, and real pretty blue feathers, like two of them on each of her side, She is the one that is the loudest, oh my goodness she can just holler, she always makes me feel she is trying to tell me something, Now Gloria does this dance, when I go out to feed them in the morning they both come to me and as they are walking side by side, she does this neck think, her neck is going up and down like a little dance, it makes me feel she is telling Donald something, almost like she wants to mate, But she is full with down in the back and her tail goes up in the back, not for say a curl, Donald's is more straight down.
When i went out to the coop this morning there is another egg in there, so I am going to pull all 4 of them now, and I will continue to pull all four of them until I see one of them laying and not leaving the nest.
Thank you so much for writing me back, I will try to send a picture of both of them.

thanks Edie

 

[Kevin565]

If Donald quacks at all then he is has to be a she. Which would explain the broody behavior.

 

[ewaugaman]

Thank you so much for your responce, Gloria does this dancing thing, when they are walking side by side, she is walking with her neck going up and down, up and down, she is the fullest of the two, Donald is a crested duck, all black white neck, and a pom-pom on top of his head.
I will try to send some pictures,
they are fun, I only have two, that's enough for me...... thanks...

Edie

 

[ewaugaman]

Gloria is the one that is quacking real loud all the time, she is real full, lots of down on her back side, brown's with some white, and two blue feathers on each side of her, now her tail is more curled then Donald's he is all black, white neck and has a pom-pom on the top of his head. but he is the one that sits on the nest, I have never seen her sit on the nest, so you might be right he might be her,,,,,,,,,,,,, and her might be him........... I went out to feed them this morning and there were four eggs in the nest. I was told to pull them everyday, so I am going to do that.

Thank you so much for your response. Edie

 

[Miss Lydia]

Gloria is the one that is quacking real loud all the time, she is real full, lots of down on her back side, brown's with some white, and two blue feathers on each side of her, now her tail is more curled then Donald's he is all black, white neck and has a pom-pom on the top of his head. but he is the one that sits on the nest, I have never seen her sit on the nest, so you might be right he might be her,,,,,,,,,,,,, and her might be him........... I went out to feed them this morning and there were four eggs in the nest. I was told to pull them everyday, so I am going to do that.

Thank you so much for your response. Edie

Hope you'll post pics. try to get some front view side view and back view. that way we can better tell you what you have.