Need help with broody duck, pronto!

[ForeverSunshine]

Okay, so, my duck has been what I thought was broody for quite some time now. She's had issue after issue and I've gotten no ducklings what so ever. Not one's the hatched right or lived, anyway. So, I finally got her out of her pen so she could go be a duck with the others and not go completely feral. I went to get some of her eggs to candle and see if there was any hope left. There are four of them sitting on top of the nest, but they're impossibly light; almost as if it's an empty shell. And everything below is one piece. Like, some of the eggs are bad and cracked and just melded together with the hay. It's obvious that no living creature is going become of it.

I know I need to get rid of it, but how? I've heard multiple times that taking away the entire nest can mentally harm them. How do I slowly but surely take them away without anything happening to her? I mean, I could start taking away those four eggs, but the rest is just......I'd have to take the whole thing. I've got about 10-15 minutes before they have to go to bed, so I wanted an answer before that.

I'm sorry I'm so useless, but ya'll have helped me more with ducks than I ever could have on my own!

 

[sourland]

Remove the entire nest - you will not 'mentally harm' her.

 

[ForeverSunshine]

Remove the entire nest - you will not 'mentally harm' her.

K, thank you! I feel kinda stupid right about now........I might have read an article or two wrong. I've just seen that they can kinda throw a fit if they see their entire nest has vanished while they were gone.

 

[sourland]

She may throw a fit, but it sounds as if she has been setting entirely too long, and you are right it s time to return her to the flock. Brooding/setting can be a debilitating process, and upon occasion a broody hen will weaken to the point that she dies. Next time around limit her nest to the number of eggs that she can cover with no stacking. Don't allow other ducks access to the nest and hopefully you will have a successful hatch.

 

[ForeverSunshine]

She may throw a fit, but it sounds as if she has been setting entirely too long, and you are right it s time to return her to the flock. Brooding/setting can be a debilitating process, and upon occasion a broody hen will weaken to the point that she dies. Next time around limit her nest to the number of eggs that she can cover with no stacking. Don't allow other ducks access to the nest and hopefully you will have a successful hatch.

Awesome! Thank you! She's been in there far longer than what's healthy. She really does look rough and she needs to get back to foraging for bugs as she's had nothing but grain and water. She's on the small end, so she can cover that many. Thank you again for your help. I'm going to go dispose of her eggs and try to put her in the other duck's pen tonight.