After waiting somewhat over the 30 days I'd estimated they'd need for hatching, and finding that only one had been fertile (and that one didn't completely hatch), I removed all the eggs my girls had been setting about 2 weeks ago. Since then, I've seen the males attempting to breed again (even this late in the season), and today I found 3 eggs in the barn! Why are they restarting the process? I thought once they'd laid for the season, they would stop. I remove the 3 eggs, but am debating whether I should try to incubate them or not. Any chance any of these might be fertile so late in the year?
They will keep trying until mid-summer...plus the males will mate my girls even when they aren't laying...horn-ducks
Thanks! I'll resettle the infertile male back to his "seclusion bower" and let the young boy do HIS thing this time! Keep you posted....
Judith I thought the younger gander was breeding your girls??? Some girls will lay eggs through June. Some will stop laying after they've set on eggs but some will start up again.
Judith I thought the younger gander was breeding your girls??? Some girls will lay eggs through June. Some will stop laying after they've set on eggs but some will start up again.