Ok, so I got my first egg yesterday! And a second one today! I'm one proud Mama! So here's my question: The advice I've received so far has been that Pekins don't typically go broody. So I'm thinking I might give her a few days to see what she'll do and if she doesn't I'm going to incubate. How many eggs should she typically lay before she'll start setting? Should I not wait until and go ahead and gather up the eggs as she lays them and get ready to incubate? I really don't want to waste my first eggs. She's also built a nest in her box and is tending to it, but she has laid her two eggs by the water bowl. Is this normal for a young female? Or maybe a good sign that she will sit on her eggs? I've placed both eggs in her nest hoping that she'll catch on. So many questions and I'm sorry, but THANK YOU in advance!
If she is tending to her nest, i would let her have the eggs for the first 12 days, then if doesnt do anything with them, get rid of those, and start collecting fresh eggs.... does she have a mate?
Pekins are not known to go broody, but I does happen. I have one that disappeared for a few days and when I finally gave up hope I would find her alive I almost stepped on her clearing brush out of the hollar. She was giving it all she had to hatch a clutch of unfertilized eggs. She was 2 years old at the time.
You will need to give her more than a few days- some ducks will lay 20 eggs or more before going broody. First eggs are sometimes smaller in size than ones laid once they get into the rhythm of laying so for incubating these arent the best. They may well be fertile since you have Donald there to see to that- but to give the best chances of hatching its better to use good quality eggs that have the best chance of hatching. Mark the eggs she lays with a date- and remove the older ones once they get beyond about ten days. Being so young she is likely to lay eggs in strange places for while. Being a pekin does lessen the chance of her going broody- but they still do at times. My little utility strain pekin was a good little broody in her younger days- but she isnt laying much anymore.
Thank you all for the advice. I'm hoping the eggs she are laying are fertilized, her mate "Donald" has been seeing to that over the last few weeks. I noticed her this afternoon going to and from the nest making circles and sitting down for a few minutes, so maybe instinct is kicking in??? Who knows, but I'm anxious to find out if she goes broody. I had read about marking the eggs with a date so I've started that as well. It helps me with keeping them turned too. I'm going to just calm down a little and see what my young girl is going to do. Lol. It's all so exciting!
