NEED HELP!! Sitting Duck and Dead Duck

[TheQuackHouseCW]

I cam home from work today and found my muscovy drake dead in his house. He was fine yesterday and had no symptoms of illness. There are three other females housed with him. I would like to completey clean the area and disinfect the house and run but the problem is one of the females is sitting on a nest inside the house and she is about 10 days away from expected hatching.... what do i do???? can i move the nest?? Should i just remove bedding around her and replace new bedding in house and hope for the best?? I have no idea why he passed. This is my first time with ducks (about a year) first time with a nest of eggs and first death.

 

[sourland]

Sorry for your loss. Generally unexpected death is not a result of an infectious agent. In the hope that the hen would continue setting and hatch ducklings, I might spot clean the coop. The bottom line is that the flock has already been exposed to him if the illness was contagious. I have never successfully moved a setting duck. Good luck.

 

[ruthhope]

So sad for you and your drake.

I agree with sourland

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[Miss Lydia]

Very sorry for your loss.

 

[TheQuackHouseCW]

the hens dont want to come out of the house today... are they mourning?

 

[Miss Lydia]

They know something happened. And their drake isn't with them any longer. i believe my girls would be devastated if they lost their drake.

 

[Luv Ducks]

the hens dont want to come out of the house today... are they mourning?

Ducks do mourn. Whenever I have to rehome any of the flock for Male to female ratio my Hens don't even want to act like they know me any longer when I come home from work. They always chat loudly when seeing my car come in but after that it is all quiet sometimes for up to a week. So sorry for your loss.