Old fashioned Broody Thread for Ducks

[Macleant]

I am so happy to find this thread! I am hoping someone can give me some advice. I have a broody cayuga laying on two eggs. I dont know exactly the date she started laying on them as i didnt write it down. I really feel its been about five to six weeks though and dont know what to do. She is diligently caring for them and i dont know how to tell if they are dead or if my timing is way off? I got a candler but didnt know what i was looking at really. About one third to half of the egg is dark and the rest looks bright. Do i take tgem from her?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I am so happy to find this thread! I am hoping someone can give me some advice. I have a broody cayuga laying on two eggs. I dont know exactly the date she started laying on them as i didnt write it down. I really feel its been about five to six weeks though and dont know what to do. She is diligently caring for them and i dont know how to tell if they are dead or if my timing is way off? I got a candler but didnt know what i was looking at really. About one third to half of the egg is dark and the rest looks bright. Do i take tgem from her?

@Macleant Welcome to BYC

Once you have candled smell . Then you will know whether to toss or let her sit on them a little longer. If they smell be careful they may explode.
Please check back and let us know what you see.

 

[Macleant]

Thank you so much! I am waiting for her to come off the nest again so i can sneak them away i will get back to you as soon i see the eggs.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you so much! I am waiting for her to come off the nest again so i can sneak them away i will get back to you as soon i see the eggs.

 

[Macleant]

Ok she finally got iff her nest! Its strange i actually fiund three eggs in there! One smelled horrible and looked really runny. I tossed that one. The other large egg looked like day 28 but still wasnt sure if its bad or not. No smell. The third egg is much smaller and a different color. Im wondering if our young runner layed an egg in her nest as she had just started laying. She was taken by a coyote a week ago so would love to see that one hatch. Still not sure how long to let her lay on them. I dont want to jeopardize her health.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Ok she finally got iff her nest! Its strange i actually fiund three eggs in there! One smelled horrible and looked really runny. I tossed that one. The other large egg looked like day 28 but still wasnt sure if its bad or not. No smell. The third egg is much smaller and a different color. Im wondering if our young runner layed an egg in her nest as she had just started laying. She was taken by a coyote a week ago so would love to see that one hatch. Still not sure how long to let her lay on them. I dont want to jeopardize her health.

@Macleant she def needs to come off daily at least 1X to eat bath and poop. did you candle how much different are the 2 inside? do you have a bator? asking because if the one egg is getting close to hatch day she will most likely abandon the nest and other egg if it's not very far along. I am sorry to hear you lost your young Runner.

 

[Macleant]

Thank you. You are so kind. She was a beautiful fawn and white runner. She actually surprised us by starting to lay at 4 and a half months old. Unfortunately that is what led to her demise. She would wander into the woods to build neats to lay and that is where she was taken. We are now rethinking our duck area trying to find ways to fence some areas around the pond so they cant wander. Anyway, i do not have a bator but am thinking maybe I should purchase one as im sure ill run into this in the future again. I appreciate the information. I hadnt even thought about her abandoning the nest before that egg is ready. I will keep an eye on her and swoop in when this happens. Should i candle again in a weeknor sonif theres no baby? How will i know ifnits a quitter? Just too longbof time in the nest? Or will the egg turn runny land smelly?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you. You are so kind. She was a beautiful fawn and white runner. She actually surprised us by starting to lay at 4 and a half months old. Unfortunately that is what led to her demise. She would wander into the woods to build neats to lay and that is where she was taken. We are now rethinking our duck area trying to find ways to fence some areas around the pond so they cant wander. Anyway, i do not have a bator but am thinking maybe I should purchase one as im sure ill run into this in the future again. I appreciate the information. I hadnt even thought about her abandoning the nest before that egg is ready. I will keep an eye on her and swoop in when this happens. Should i candle again in a weeknor sonif theres no baby? How will i know ifnits a quitter? Just too longbof time in the nest? Or will the egg turn runny land smelly?

Did you candle the eggs? best way in the world to tell how far along. And of course smell. lol usually they will stay around 3 days after last hatch and they probably don't hear anymore peeping so they get up take their ducklings out for their lesson on living in the great big world. Since you don't know exactly how long she has been sitting I'd keep track of her and every time you see her out check the eggs I usually candle right up till I see internal pip then I leave them alone Once hatching starts it can take up to 2 days for duckling to hatch. Mom will sit tight during that time. so you'll want to put food and water close by for her so she doesn't get dehydrated and in case the last egg takes longer to hatch mom and duckling will have food and water. Look at the chart and go by it . If you don't see any progress after days of candling and comparing you'll know it's a quitter.

 

[boadicea]

I have a mallard who has hatched 3 ducklings in the last two days. She's still got 6 eggs left in the nest. Five look like day 28 when I candle them, but one is pure liquid (you can actually hear it sloshing when you pick it up). I'm planning on leaving them for a couple more days, but she's off her nest a lot more now that she's got three ducklings. Should I pull the liquid one and wait to see if the others hatch? Or since she's no longer sitting consistently, are they all goners? I don't have an incubator so there's not really any other option except the other brooding mama. But she's already gone after the babies when she came off her nest today. She's so dang grumpy, that one. Always has been a grumpy duck.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have a mallard who has hatched 3 ducklings in the last two days. She's still got 6 eggs left in the nest. Five look like day 28 when I candle them, but one is pure liquid (you can actually hear it sloshing when you pick it up). I'm planning on leaving them for a couple more days, but she's off her nest a lot more now that she's got three ducklings. Should I pull the liquid one and wait to see if the others hatch? Or since she's no longer sitting consistently, are they all goners? I don't have an incubator so there's not really any other option except the other brooding mama. But she's already gone after the babies when she came off her nest today. She's so dang grumpy, that one. Always has been a grumpy duck.

I'd def take out the sloshing one before it explodes. Is she off the nest for good and taking the babies somewhere else instead of the nest? If so those ducklings either aren't going to hatch or def won't now if still alive. .