My girl laid her first egg! Now what?

[Indyrun]

Help! Novice here...
What do I do with the egg? She laid it right next to her bed. I didn't touch it.
She hasn't been sitting on it today as far as I know... It's been a warm day.
Do I leave it? Go buy an incubator or is it too late. The drake has been mating with her for months.

 

[fleedo]

she should do a good mum so just leave it with her

good luck

(soon)

 

[Amiga]

With domestic breeds, we do not know if they will go broody or not… I have been told that the eggs laid after a few weeks are more viable for hatching - I have not confirmed that, just passing that along.

Also, when ducks do go broody, it is after they have collected a number of eggs. Sometimes three, sometimes twelve - it varies.

Some will brood for a few days or a couple of weeks. Then walk away. Some kill the ducklings once they are hatched, and I do not know why - just trying to prepare you.

 

[Indyrun]

Oh no...
She laid her second today in the same spot.
How many days are the eggs viable?
When and if I should move them?
The drake is even more protective of their coop now.

 

[duckcop]

I have a Muscovy momma that built a fancy nest for a day or two before laying, sat like a good hen the whole time and killed the babies as they hatched. The drake patrolled the area the whole time watching over her. I expected her to be an awesome momma. You really just never know what to expect the first time out.

If she goes broody just watch for her to stop laying. Sometimes it takes my Muscovies a couple days and our "wild" mallards (that think they are house ducks) I've seen take 8 days to finish laying. Once the finish laying start your count down. That's been my best luck for predicting hatch.

 

[apricotvalleywf]

Are we talking about pure bred runner ducks? If so, very low chance that they will hatch their own eggs. I would just eat them to be honest. If you let her sit on her eggs then she will become broody and may stop laying. If you want her to do her own thing then by all means let her do what she pleases to do. If you would like edible eggs then start to collect them daily.

The eggs will be fine as they are covered with a protective bloom.. in 8-10 days if she is really broody she will stop laying and sit on her clutch and try to hatch them. This rarely happens with runners.

 

[Amiga]

It is rare, from what I hear - I have runners who regularly go broody.

 

[Indyrun]

Ok, she is laying daily now.
If in 8/10 days she doesn't sit on them, will the eggs have gone off to eat, or shoukd I put the eggs in an incubator after this time?

 

[apricotvalleywf]

You could try the float test or just crack them open and see. Chances are she would only incubate them after her clutch was done being laid!

 

[Indyrun]

So, 8 days later 8 eggs. She is not broody yet, but fairly protective of her nest, when I clean out their house, she keeps an eye on me. The drake doesn't like me going in there at all.
Next question: if she sits on the nest and her babies hatch, should I seperate them?
I'm not home all the time, and my ducks are my pets. Their house and little pool are on my back patio ( we have yet to set up their enclosure, house reno everywhere) so I'm worried that the babies will get in the pool and drown, or the drake will drown them, or the crows around the place will get them.
Should I a) make a protective box for them to hide in outside?
B) keep them inside when I'm not at home. If so will the parents be freaking out by the door seeing their babies locked inside.
I will be eventually selling the babies, so should I take them away as they hatch? I don't want to upset the parents.