My Ducks are laying but won`t set on them

[BackSwampGirl]

I don`t know what to do.They have just started laying their 1st ones about 3 1/2 weeks ago.I get one everyday.I have 1 female Rouen,and 1 Drake.And 1 Cayagua Drake and 4 female Cayaguas.They started laying them on the ground then I fixed a place for them to lay in and sometimes they will lay in the water,(pool).I kept putting them in the nest but when I go out there they are all cold.I have some that I know is fertile.I have ended up taking all of them and put them in the incubator.Why won`t they set on them.Please I need some information.HELP!!!!!! Thanks,Sandra

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Ducks lay about 18 eggs before they set. Even then, it is late in the season for them. They naturally will have a higher tendency to go broody in the early spring. It also takes them a while to get used to the fact that they are laying, so they may lay in water and such for a while before they get themselves turned around.

 

[willowcol]

My Rouen is doing the same thing for about 5 weeks, we also have a hen and drake, the kids took a couple of the eggs and slipped them in the bator, ahh not fertile yet. We gave them 10 days cracked 1 and nothing, so maybe the boy isn't mature yet. Good luck with yours, mine were hatched in April.

 

[BackSwampGirl]

Thanks so much for everyone that has helped me.My mother in law told me that a hen will lay all of hers and then go get on the nest.So maybe that si the way these are.But to see them out there and it is real cold,I don`t know how they survive,I mean the eggs.The 1st one was just moving all around in the shell.A little dot and since I put it in the bator it has stopped,do you think it could be dead? It does not smell yet.But it has started filling up in the shell more.Does this make any since.Thanks ,,,,,any answer to that one I would appreciate too.

 

[jvls1942]

I will give it shot.. most birds will lay a bunch of eggs before they decide to set.. I never depend on the first few eggs layed.. it seems that they are hit or miss fertile..

more mature birds are more likely to set.. Your younger birds may lay a lot of eggs before the mood hits..

the embryo is growing so it must be alive. don't expect to see a lot of movement, ever.. these are not tadpoles.. If you see movement it is because you just hit it lucky..

collect the eggs and put them into your incubator.. put the expected hatch date on each one if you are adding eggs daily..

do not use a felt tipped type marker.. It will, (not might) it will kill the egg. I once klled a batch of 128 eggs before I learned this.