Old fashioned Broody thread for ducks 2013 edition

[Miss Lydia]

Hi-- I was away for awhile for Family Vacation. Left my 1.5yr old Rouen sitting sporadically on 18 eggs. I had taken eggs away to get to that #! So I counted today while she was off the nest... And I stopped counting at 32!!! This is the same girl that I found hoarding 20+ back in the early Spring. Obviously she can't sit on 32, plus I know they won't all be at same stages of development... I thing she's got about 2 wks to go... So I'm thinking just leave her alone and see what she comes out with. I def don't want 32 ducklings anyway!
To further complicate things, my Khaki Campbell started sitting while I was away too.

Your not even going to candle H so you can get rid of non viable eggs or nasties? That's a lot of ducklings even if half hatch..

I still have 4 sitting on nothing thank goodness, but these girls are missing out on their summer vacation.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

I should candle... You are right ML.
DH rolled his eyes at me when I told him.

Here's Khaki Mom.

This is Sweetie Pie the Rouen. You can't tell she's hiding that many eggs can you?

These 2 Ladies are only 5 or 6 feet apart, each in a back corner of their outdoor house.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I should candle... You are right ML.
DH rolled his eyes at me when I told him. Here's Khaki Mom.
This is Sweetie Pie the Rouen. You can't tell she's hiding that many eggs can you?

These 2 Ladies are only 5 or 6 feet apart, each in a back corner of their outdoor house.

They are both very pretty and they can sure get them down in the bedding pretty good. Let us know what you find if you candle.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

All right, I went out there and removed lots from Sweetie pie- She now has 18 eggs to sit on. 2 smelled a bit off, those were obviously going... The others were really difficult to tell, plus some certainly looked like they were less than 10days. All the ones that were darker looked solidly dark thru, lacking the ring of vibrancy and blood vessels on Metzer's site. So I just picked the ones that had the most evenly sized air sacs. I did not see any movement in any eggs nor any embryos at all tho ...but I know from past candling experience that sometimes those dark eggs do contain fine feathered embryos... Aggggh candling is stressful! So I guess I've hopefully got her clutch to a manageable size for her. That was too many, some were cold and that could explain all the different stages of development I saw. Or maybe others were laying in her nest. Either way, I'm glad she can't count. I always feel badly, like maybe I tossed some that were viable?
And I left Khaki with her 14.
Good news, I did get an inquiry from someone with a pond wanting ducklings today. That at least makes me feel better.

 

[Miss Lydia]

All right, I went out there and removed lots from Sweetie pie- She now has 18 eggs to sit on. 2 smelled a bit off, those were obviously going... The others were really difficult to tell, plus some certainly looked like they were less than 10days. All the ones that were darker looked solidly dark thru, lacking the ring of vibrancy and blood vessels on Metzer's site. So I just picked the ones that had the most evenly sized air sacs. I did not see any movement in any eggs nor any embryos at all tho

...but I know from past candling experience that sometimes those dark eggs do contain fine feathered embryos... Aggggh candling is stressful! So I guess I've hopefully got her clutch to a manageable size for her. That was too many, some were cold and that could explain all the different stages of development I saw. Or maybe others were laying in her nest. Either way, I'm glad she can't count. I always feel badly, like maybe I tossed some that were viable?
And I left Khaki with her 14.
Good news, I did get an inquiry from someone with a pond wanting ducklings today. That at least makes me feel better.

Good news H, for the candling and especially for the pond waiting for ducklings. But they don't expect to take them home and put them right on the pond I hope??

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

I'll have to talk to them about that!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'll have to talk to them about that!!

 

[keirys]

Shes sitting on 9 ive candled all of them so far so good. We had to move her to the garage earlier we have a nasty coon problem brewing so far shes ******.. hopefully she doesnt reject them.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Shes sitting on 9 ive candled all of them so far so good. We had to move her to the garage earlier we have a nasty coon problem brewing so far shes ******.. hopefully she doesnt reject them.

My goodness 14 coons? where are they all coming from? and your in the city right?


Hoping she settles down and gets back to brooding, when is hatch day?

 

[keirys]

Yeah we caught a huge one last night I just went to check on her shes sitting on them hopefully she settled down some. Hatch dsy is August 30