NEED HELP!!! My Campbell Duck is trying to hatch unfertilized eggs.

[feather brain]

My female Campbell Duck was orphaned by her mother 5 years ago. She hatched beside my cousins house and their first day out of the nest they came down to my cousins pond where we were fishing. two hours later the mother was gone with all her babies except for two. they had not followed her into the water. They followed me and my son all afternoon while we fished. After fishing we went to dinner, when we returned to my cousins home the two baby ducklings were by the deck, and the mother in the road hit by a car. I took the 2 babies home . We never found any of the other ducklings the mother had left the pond with earlier. That night I was awaken by a horrible scream. One of the babies had died and the sibling was screaming its head off. When I picked that poor little baby duckling up, I knew I was going to be in trouble. I had raised ducks in the past and was always warned that you never ever have a lone duck. She imprinted on me instantly. We named her Daisey Duke! She thinks she is a dog and can come in and out of the house as she pleases. She is very spoiled, and will not to this very day put her toes in pond or river water. She has her own pool in the back yard, and like the Easter Bunny...Lays eggs all over the back yard. At least she did, now she has decided to make a nest for the first time and she is determined to hatch her eggs. She has been sitting on her nest for 35 days now. She only gets off long enough to eat and drink and back in her duck coup she goes. In 5 years I've let her out every day at 8am and put her in her coupe at 8pm. She has never gone in her duck coupe on her own. She would much rather be playing with the dog or in her pool, or in the house or garden with me. What should I do? Should I get her fertilized eggs to sit on, and try to see if she can hatch them? Please Help! I have no idea what to do.
Thanks, Feather Brain

 

[Amiga]

My Fünf goes broody sometimes, and last year sure enough it was about seven weeks. What happens is she'll sit most of the day for weeks, and then one day, get up, walk away from the nest and that is that.

To help her, I would mark four eggs with a pencil, and then just take the fresh ones for myself. Every ten days or so (sniff test) I would mark a fresh egg and toss the icky one.

You can add some poultry vitamins to her water, make sure she can get to food and fresh water, and make sure she is safe.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

My Khaki Campbell is an excellent sitter, so I personally dismiss that info that states Khaki Campbells aren't good moms. That was an interesting story about your Daisy Duke. So I gathered that she's an only duck, so that would mean her eggs are infertile, right? You could try swapping eggs out as the wise Amiga has advised, but do know that if your Daisy has already been sitting 35 days, well she might not have the committment to sit another 30. But then again, if she is determined to hatch out babies, well you might have a larger flock next month if you give her fertile eggs. But you'll want to add them all at once if you do. You could just take the eggs away too, but she will likely be in a funk for awhile if you do.