Nesting Duck, What to do???

[cheepcheep3]

One of my welsh harlequin females has been sitting on a nest she made with about 6 eggs in it for about a month now. The nest is inside of the house that I have for my ducks. She hardly ever comes out and is constantly sitting on the nest. I feel like by now (or soon) she should have some ducklings. I'm going to need to clean out the house soon and just was wondering at what point do I get rid of the eggs? Is it possible that there are no fertilized eggs that she is sitting on?

Thanks

 

[DucksnDaffodils]

One of my welsh harlequin females has been sitting on a nest she made with about 6 eggs in it for about a month now. The nest is inside of the house that I have for my ducks. She hardly ever comes out and is constantly sitting on the nest. I feel like by now (or soon) she should have some ducklings. I'm going to need to clean out the house soon and just was wondering at what point do I get rid of the eggs? Is it possible that there are no fertilized eggs that she is sitting on?

Thanks

Unfertilized eggs is definitely a possibility (I am assuming you have a drake) have you candled the eggs at all? Or checked them for cracks. They ought to be hatching soon if they are fertile. I would say wait a week more (especially if you are not positive about how long it has been) and then discard the eggs. Unless they are smelling really bad. If one has gone rotten it will have a funny color and stink awful. I would definitely take a look at the eggs and candle them as soon as possible and listen for peeps or movement. Really hope that they are fertile and hatch soon!!! That poor little mother sitting still for that long.

 

[cheepcheep3]

If I take the eggs out and check them and they happen to be fertilized, will my duck come back to the nest and continue to sit on them? Or will me going in there totally upset her?
Thanks!

 

[DucksnDaffodils]

If you do it gently, 1 at a time maybe (marking with a pencil the ones that are and returning them and discarding the empty ones) and possibly in the evening so she is calmer and sleepier, it should be fine (it will be easier to candle them when it is dark anyways). If she is truly broody nothing should disturb her completely, especially if you are careful. Look up candling, I am sure there are some good threads on here even on the best way to do it, if you don't know how. Let us know how things go!! Hope all her sitting is profitable, and you have some darling babies to watch!!

 

[cheepcheep3]

I just went out there and she was actually on 20 eggs

. I looked at them and 6 were almost completely dark on the inside. One had a little black spot on it (actually was on the inside of the shell). I gave those 6 back to her and am now searching the internet on candling results lol. What are the chances that if one hatched that it would survive?? I go out there every day but there are 9 other ducks and two guinea hens in the pen as well.

 

[DucksnDaffodils]

20! Yipes! Okay so it sounds like your 6 eggs are full of little duckies!!! The little black dot could have been it's eye you were looking at, or possibly a pip, (not sure about that one). I don't know what you have found, but here is a link to an egg candling post on here. And here is another one on Metzer farm.

As to when and if they hatch, is there any way you could set up a little fencing around her so the other ducks couldn't get to her? Possibly putting a little dish of food and water in front of her within the fenced off area. That would be best! But if that is not the best spot for her, or there isn't room, once the eggs hatch, you could possibly safely move her with her ducklings to a more convenient spot and fence her off. Even if you couldn't separate her till after they hatched, and they hatched while you weren't out there, the big ducks shouldn't bother with them, if they are sticking with their mommy.

Right now I would just say keep an eye on her as often as you can. I wouldn't bother the eggs to much more, because you don't want her getting nervous or agitated, but if one is hatching, you ought to be able to hear it cheeping without having to physically disturb her.

 

[DucksnDaffodils]

How are things going? Any babies yet????

 

[cheepcheep3]

Nothing yet I stick my head in the house every day and she just quacks at me lol

 

[cheepcheep3]

Still nothing at what point do I need to say that maybe they aren't going to hatch and clean out the nest??

 

[DucksnDaffodils]

Hmmm... It is SO hard to say. I mean you don't want to kill growing babies, but if nothing is going to happen, you don't want the poor mama to sit there forever! You might want to try smelling and listening to the eggs. If there is any funny/rotten smell, you probably have dead babies and need to toss the eggs. But if they don't smell bad, listen to them, if you hear any soft grinding sound, or tapping, or peeping. WAIT! Sorry I can't help more.