nesting duck

[etush]

i have a female Muscovy that sitting on her eggs for over two weeks now in my yard. she become our pet. she eat from our hand and she is really adorable and obviously trust us. the male she was hanging with left for another female , but when he sees her when she comes to eat he is really nice to her. anyway today i saw another male spotting her nest and trying to mate with her. Could it be that the males will try to mate with nesting female? and why wouldn't she move? is she afraid that he will break her eggs? i felt so bad for her. she did not come out in the evening to eat like she usually is. so i am kind of worried .

 

[chickens really]

The other Drake that was trying to breed her is just being dominant...She possibly won't leave the nest much now till the eggs hatch....As the incubation progresses she will sit longer periods before she will get off to eat, drink and poop...You could try leaving her some feed and water close to the nest so she continues to keep up her strength ....


Best wishes ...


Cheers!

 

[etush]

thank you so much. i hope he wont start bothering her on a regular base now
i read somewhere that if she doesn't want , he wont be able to mate with her. is it true?
she has food and water behind the fence where she is coming (flying as the gate is closed most of the time) to eat and drink. i dont want to put food and water too close to her which will attract other creatures to her nest (opossums, rates, etc.)
are all her duckling will hatch at the same time? how does it work? because i know she lay them in stages . when few will hatch will she take them to look for food and to the lake and come back to the same nest until all will hatch? if some will hatch when she is not around, will they wait until she will come back? other animals can get to them like cats or birds of prey? if i will know when they hatch should i leave the gate open for her for a while? will she come back with them to the same nest to sleep at night? or will go other places?
any information will be appreciate as it going to be our first hatching.
thanks

 

[chickens really]

How it works is they lay a clutch of eggs and then start setting them to hatch...They will all hatch within two days..The ones that don't hatch she will abandon so she can feed her Ducklings...No, she will not stay at the nest sight .....She will take them with her to another place to forage and find water and food .....So glad your trying to help her....She might come back or she will take them far away?...


....cheers!

 

[etush]

she got 11 cute little one. looks like candy duckling. she came to feed them around me. it made me very happy.
next day she came alone to eat. i spot the little one in a bush not far, hiding. there were only four
today she came alone twice to eat, and then flew away like she is in a hurry. i am hopping she is hiding them somewhere afraid of all the birds of prey around - hopping she still has the 4. how sad.

on another note. there was a mom with 7 ducklings. she was roaming with them for over 2 weeks. teach them were to eat and how. we were so happy they are still 7 with her every time we saw her. we were too quick to be happy. a week ago she and 3 of her ducklings disappeared . the 4 remaining ducklings were crying looking all over for her and tried to hook with other female ducks. no female took them so i tried to catch them to bring them to Duck Heaven until they will be able to fly. i didnt succeed and they got so scared that they didnt come anymore to my yard. i saw them the following day still roaming in the lake and yesterday they all disappeared. it makes me so sad. none of the mothers manage to hang out to their ducklings since September. .