Need help with a hatched duck egg

[mary22]

A beautiful mallard duck laid eggs in one of my backyard planters and my family and I have been watching her closely ever since, we are so excited about the whole event we moved the planter to keep her safe from our dogs and that worked fine but didnt think about keeping her babies safe when they hatched. Yesterday the first one hatched and a cat got to it before we could . The cat killed it before it was even born. Another hatched and we weren't sure what to do so we watched it closely but again the cat came and got the next one. I know I feel incredibly stupid. The third one hatched without the mother being there and it was dying so we decided to bring it in out of the cold and warm it up and it thrived after only an hour. This was last night. The mother hasn't sat on the other two eggs all night but hasn't left but we moved the planter so we could better protect her and think she got confused. This morning we moved it closer to where it was and she jumped it but left again. Not sure if I should take the eggs and try and incubate but I don't want to stress the mamma. Also I need advice on the baby about feeding and other things, if you can offer any insight to this city gal I'd appreciate it.
Thank everyone
Mary

 

[Amiga]

This may help

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/750869/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings#post_10611711

Call a wildlife rehabber as soon as you can, keep the cat under house arrest, if the duck does not come back due to all the disturbance, those eggs would need an incubator - and it is a critical time in their development.

My cats are on watch - there are wren babies about to fledge near the house. And sometimes the cat skunks me. But really - everybody in the family must keep that cat confined to the house, away from baby birds.