Old fashioned Broody thread for ducks 2013 edition

[Marty1876]

My Ancona duck mama hatched 12 of 13 eggs this year, and raised 11 to adulthood. Silly daft thing, made her nest on ROCKS by the old goldfish pond. I didn't approve of her location, thinking it too close to the walkway of other birds, poor selection, and too close to the feeding area. She was right though, no other birds troubled themselves to climb rocks to hang out. When she came of the nest, it was like 9 inches to the pool edge, and they all just hopped in. From then on, they knew if any sign of danger, to the pond!!

Honestly, if mama duck picks a spot, leave her too it. They generally seem to know what it's all about, far better than I can guess.

Hi miss Lydia!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

My Ancona duck mama hatched 12 of 13 eggs this year, and raised 11 to adulthood. Silly daft thing, made her nest on ROCKS by the old goldfish pond. I didn't approve of her location, thinking it too close to the walkway of other birds, poor selection, and too close to the feeding area. She was right though, no other birds troubled themselves to climb rocks to hang out. When she came of the nest, it was like 9 inches to the pool edge, and they all just hopped in. From then on, they knew if any sign of danger, to the pond!!

Honestly, if mama duck picks a spot, leave her too it. They generally seem to know what it's all about, far better than I can guess.

Hi miss Lydia!!!

Hi Marty, good to see ya, and Congrats on a great hatch..

 

[Duck Drover]

I hatched three Australian Spotted ducklings after I thought duck season was over and today we found a nest of 7 eggs that I put in the incubator. Many of the late season eggs we collected a month ago were infertile or they did not develop properly so they may have been too old. I am pretty sure these are fresh since they were near a gate we use somewhat frequently but it is getting colder so they may not hatch. I would love to have duck eggs all winter but we have not been searching for nests since I thought the ducks were done.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I hatched three Australian Spotted ducklings after I thought duck season was over and today we found a nest of 7 eggs that I put in the incubator. Many of the late season eggs we collected a month ago were infertile or they did not develop properly so they may have been too old. I am pretty sure these are fresh since they were near a gate we use somewhat frequently but it is getting colder so they may not hatch. I would love to have duck eggs all winter but we have not been searching for nests since I thought the ducks were done.

Looks like you may have to start searching again, lol My girls have been through for over a month now, and I am relieved since so many went broody and just wouldn't give up. even though they weren't even sitting on eggs.

How old are the 3 ducklings you hatched? we need Pics.

 

[Marty1876]

Hi Marty, good to see ya, and Congrats on a great hatch..

Thanks! Yes, she repopulated the duck pen for sure. She was the lone surviving hen out of all those ducks I had last year at the dog attack.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks! Yes, she repopulated the duck pen for sure. She was the lone surviving hen out of all those ducks I had last year at the dog attack.

Where the drake come from? and boy did she ever.

 

[Dwen]

Hey guys,

My pekin just started setting today on 13 eggs. Do you think I should let her hatch them? She's been collecting for quite a while, but I wasn't expecting her to get serious.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hey guys,

My pekin just started setting today on 13 eggs. Do you think I should let her hatch them? She's been collecting for quite a while, but I wasn't expecting her to get serious.

Depends on your setup, it's going to be hard especially with that many eggs to keep the ducklings warm enough and you might have to bring them in if she doesn't do a good job, and from my experience ducks don't do as good a job of keeping their lil ones warm as chickens do. You might want to take some of the eggs away so she has a smaller clutch maybe around 4-6. With the temps we're going to be getting if it was me I would take all the eggs, It's a hard decision .

 

[Marty1876]

Hey guys,

My pekin just started setting today on 13 eggs. Do you think I should let her hatch them? She's been collecting for quite a while, but I wasn't expecting her to get serious.

If your interested, and she's in a safe place (like inside the duck pen somewhere...anywhere really) and is free to come and go from the nest, eat at will, drink and wet her feathers at will, she'll be good probably. Just leave her to it and let her be. She doesn't need to be inside a building either. My duck maid a nest on rocks in the open. It worked. I just left her completely alone to see to it.

Miss Lydia,

I had 3 surviving drakes and 1 female ancona from that. They got the other 9, and all my Khakis and the muscovite girls, those dogs last November.

 

[one old chick]

If your interested, and she's in a safe place (like inside the duck pen somewhere...anywhere really) and is free to come and go from the nest, eat at will, drink and wet her feathers at will, she'll be good probably. Just leave her to it and let her be. She doesn't need to be inside a building either. My duck maid a nest on rocks in the open. It worked. I just left her completely alone to see to it.

Miss Lydia,

I had 3 surviving drakes and 1 female ancona from that. They got the other 9, and all my Khakis and the muscovite girls, those dogs last November.

hi there, i am new to ducks the three i have are my first. i have two ducks and a drake they are five months old. two have been paired since i brought them home as hatchlings. they do everything together so i had assumed one was a drake. the third is kind of off to the the side and sleeps alone away from the other two and has done so since i brought her home with them. all three were purchased at the same time and were supposed to be Khakis but i supect they are a mix as they all have a white band that goes almost around the necks. They are all brown with the exception of the drake having the most beautiful green head. they live in my barn completely. it is well lit and ventelated. they swim and play all day together the three of them. it has a hight ceiling and they have an area in the middle that has shavings. there is a wire pen around them. with a wooden box set to the back. i believe my drake is mating with both ducks but he is pretty loyal to the one he sleeps with. she laid her first egg today in a small nest she made from the hay i give them as bedding. she laid the egg on the outside of the box. my question is two fold. we are already getting some pretty cold weather off an on here and i am concerned that they all keep warm enough through the winter. i have read that using a heat lamp can create condensation. i also have guineas and chickens in separate areas in the barn as well. so need a little advice on heat lamp or no heat lamp. secondly if i leave her eggs and she hatches them will she take care the ducklings with the drake and the other duck in there with her or should i remove the eggs?