While I don't raise ducks (Quail and Pheasant guy) but I agree with all the others. Rats, Snakes, Raccoons, Skunks, Weasels, and Snapping Turtles.... are all egg bandit suspects. Since you are talking about Ducks, I suspect that the nest is near water which boils the most likely suspects down to snakes, raccoons, skunks, and turtles as the most likely culprits. It could be a combination of the bunch stealing the eggs as well!
Since it only happens every other day or more with no egg shell fragments to be found ......I strongly suspect a snake it bellying up on an egg and needing time to digest it. The fact that momma hen left the nest could be due to the snake's routine presence.
Raccoons and Skunks would clean house and leave the shell fragments and might even attack the momma hen as well....not sure about rats.
Weasels will bite and suck. I had one sneaking in and killing chickens on the roost. It would get an egg every now and then but for the most part, the weasel would bite the neck and suck the blood on the birds much like a vampire.
I know I am late on the turn around, but keep the eggs warm at a constant 100 "preferred" degrees F, and the humidity around 50% and all should be fine. The temp can be off by 1 to 2 degrees and it will either speed or slow the development and the hatch date. A quick Styrofoam cooler, 40 watt incandescent light, and a thermometer will suffice in a pinch and help increase the survival if the temp and rotation are done correctly.
Hope I am not to late and all is well.
Since it only happens every other day or more with no egg shell fragments to be found ......I strongly suspect a snake it bellying up on an egg and needing time to digest it. The fact that momma hen left the nest could be due to the snake's routine presence.
Raccoons and Skunks would clean house and leave the shell fragments and might even attack the momma hen as well....not sure about rats.
Weasels will bite and suck. I had one sneaking in and killing chickens on the roost. It would get an egg every now and then but for the most part, the weasel would bite the neck and suck the blood on the birds much like a vampire.
I know I am late on the turn around, but keep the eggs warm at a constant 100 "preferred" degrees F, and the humidity around 50% and all should be fine. The temp can be off by 1 to 2 degrees and it will either speed or slow the development and the hatch date. A quick Styrofoam cooler, 40 watt incandescent light, and a thermometer will suffice in a pinch and help increase the survival if the temp and rotation are done correctly.
Hope I am not to late and all is well.
