featheredmumma
Hatching
- Sep 2, 2020
- 5
- 0
- 9
Hi all,
Im new to hatching duck eggs - I have 4 runners and this year has been the first we managed to get our drakes (brothers who had to go together).
Back Story;
They’re free reign animals and only locked in the coup (with the chickens) at night, so they’ve our whole backyard to forage in. The ducks have never been broody previously, however in the last few weeks have been laying eggs outside the coup when they normally would lay in a single box inside out of preference of many. originally we found a nest in our decorative rocks next to our patio which we were collecting the eggs from - as we’ve always done like when laid in the box. We then thought they’d stopped laying (due to season anyway) however my husband and children found a new nest in the pea gravel inside my children’s Plastic playhouse that’s unused and was going to be turfed on our nest cleanup (outside, but next to the coup). No bedding, just a burrow in the rocks. Fast forward - seems atleast 3, if not all, the ducks are now laying in this one nest. I’ve been marking with the date each day to keep track, we’re up to roughly 10 eggs today - I’m wanting to know, will one, or multiple go broody?
We put some straw in there and made a little nest for some padding, but they’ve moved it all out the way and put all the eggs back directly in the rocks
shall I put some wood shavings under them?
our yard is secure, but at this stage as none are broody through the day, they don’t get an option to sit at night - should I give them an opportunity to sit at night?. Was hoping, once I saw some signs I’d leave the cage open (we’ve a secure yard anyway) so they could sit in peace and id section off the playhouse for the broody hen? I don’t want to disturb the nest again and make them move. Usually they take themselves to bed and we just close the cage door, so it’s not like they’re ‘forced’ to bed.
Incubator is also not an option, as I’ve already a full bator as we were collecting previously.
any ideas or help, greatly appreciated
Im new to hatching duck eggs - I have 4 runners and this year has been the first we managed to get our drakes (brothers who had to go together).
Back Story;
They’re free reign animals and only locked in the coup (with the chickens) at night, so they’ve our whole backyard to forage in. The ducks have never been broody previously, however in the last few weeks have been laying eggs outside the coup when they normally would lay in a single box inside out of preference of many. originally we found a nest in our decorative rocks next to our patio which we were collecting the eggs from - as we’ve always done like when laid in the box. We then thought they’d stopped laying (due to season anyway) however my husband and children found a new nest in the pea gravel inside my children’s Plastic playhouse that’s unused and was going to be turfed on our nest cleanup (outside, but next to the coup). No bedding, just a burrow in the rocks. Fast forward - seems atleast 3, if not all, the ducks are now laying in this one nest. I’ve been marking with the date each day to keep track, we’re up to roughly 10 eggs today - I’m wanting to know, will one, or multiple go broody?
We put some straw in there and made a little nest for some padding, but they’ve moved it all out the way and put all the eggs back directly in the rocks
shall I put some wood shavings under them?
our yard is secure, but at this stage as none are broody through the day, they don’t get an option to sit at night - should I give them an opportunity to sit at night?. Was hoping, once I saw some signs I’d leave the cage open (we’ve a secure yard anyway) so they could sit in peace and id section off the playhouse for the broody hen? I don’t want to disturb the nest again and make them move. Usually they take themselves to bed and we just close the cage door, so it’s not like they’re ‘forced’ to bed.
Incubator is also not an option, as I’ve already a full bator as we were collecting previously.
any ideas or help, greatly appreciated
