Pekin Hens setting?!?

[medusabomb]

I have always heard this is not possible, but I have one Pekin hen who has been on eggs for just over 3 weeks, and one who has been on for 10 days! Should I assume they will not 'follow through' with being good mommies(and steal the eggs to incubate elsewhere?) or give them the benefit of the doubt? They have thickly feathered nests, and puff up and hiss If I try to peek at them! My Muscovy hen (whom I only have to set eggs from the Pekins!) is enjoying the free life with the Pekin Drake now that he has no hens to followand shows no interest in setting (she sat on 3 clutchs straight last year!) How can this role reversal be explained, and what should I do? They are all in a large 70'x35' treed 'mini-orchard', have 2-3 small nesting houses, pools etc. I am worried they will start hatching and she will walk away...
Help!

 

[medusabomb]

I forgot to say that they are all 2 years old in June, and last year the Pekins wanted nothing to do with nesting...dropped their eggs wherever they happened to be walking! Yeesh....

 

[Rosecomb-Ryan]

The same thing with my friends pekins the first year nothing... eggs scattered here and there... Now this year that have nice little nests and one has hatched 4 ducklings that are almost grown now. She is a awesome Mom! Now the second one hatched one little gosling ! LOL She is taking good care of it also! She bought both of them from a feed store that buys their ducklings from Metzer...


Ryan

 

[PlumTuckered]

I can't give any advice here but I recently experienced the same thing.
Both of my Pekin Hens went broody (one is 14 months old, the other is 8 months old), they were sharing the same nest of infertile eggs, I added another 10 eggs to an empty nest and they moved those ten over with the 18 eggs and continued to share one nest. Once they had been setting for 3 weeks I stuck 2 Muscovy eggs that were ready to hatch (they had been in my incubator for a neighbor). Long story short, first egg hatched and my youngest hen stood on the duckling and killed it, I removed her to another pen with a nest of dud eggs, older hen hatched second egg out and is a wonderful Mamma. Youngest hen continued to sit on her nest for another 3 days then quit it. Once I removed the dud eggs my youngest began to lay eggs again.

If you're able to keep constant watch on the hens then I would let them continue to set...perhaps have an incubator cranked up and waiting just in case if you can.

Michelle

 

[spamee34]

I had this happen only mine were runners. Everything you read says they won't sit, well I had two choc runners sitting and were pulling feathers and everything , but my stupid males wouldn't leave them alone wanted to mate while they were sitting on their eggs in the nest ( crazy fools have been rehomed) so the hens lasted three weeks and 3 days and just walked away just over night they decided to heck with this and that was it. I cracked their eggs and they liked about a week and it was so sad . THe bad thing is they stopped sitting on them at night so I couldn't incubate the eggs when they abandoned them. Mine are one year old .

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:

 

[Red Maple Farms]

Quote:
If you ever read about the history of Long Island Ducks, then you would know that they used chickens to hatch the pekin duck eggs.

 

[maralynn28]

I know nothing and can't really give advice as I'm new to this whole duck thing, but I have to say this forum has been wonderful in helping me as it seems everything I've read from professionals happens to be the opposite of what I've actually experienced so far. For example, I chose the breeds I did because they were said to be great backyard birds with no need of body of water....well, my duckies are quite active and playful and I would feel horrible now if I didn't offer them at least a baby pool for swimming in.

Also, if I went 'by the book' my ducks would be miserable in the heated brooder all day rather than out playing in the yard and foraging to their content.

I personally try to do everything as natural as possible. If they're doing good so far, I would let them keep going...at least until you have further reason to doubt their ability. Sounds like you have a good surprise, maybe they'll surprise you further by being good mommies. If the 'scovie hen isn't interested in sitting and you want to save the eggs, then I would incubate but leave the pekin to her natural duty as long as she is happy to do it.
Whatever you decide is best for you, good luck...I hope to see pics of baby ducklings!

 

[sourland]

As a kid we had a flock of pekin ducks mated with muscovy drakes to produce "mules" for the market. Most would raise two broods of ducklings each year. Understand that these pekins came from a flock that had been selected for natural reproduction.

 

[medusabomb]

Maybe they just needed to mature a year? Last year I put some of the Pekin eggs under a particularly persistant broody Black Australorp, and she hatched 4/5 happy health ducklings, although she did seem horrified and overwhelmed with their size Once they were 4-5 days old, I snuck them back in with the Pekin ducklings that were brooded by my Muscovy, and they did fine. The Australorp seemed quite relieved, hasnt thought of setting even once since then (probably traumatised by how long they took to brood!) So...Ill leave them there , and just cross my fingers. Worse thing going on: I was out transplanting some tomatoes today, and noticed my pots were all knocked around, and the oystershell I was going to toss in (for calcium!) had been pushed over too. Then...all across the black stretch of weed barrier I laid out.....small white handprints! A flippin 'coon was sneakin around and my darn dogs must not even have noticed! So.... out went the raccoon trap & sardine dinner...called my friend who has hounds (and loves a challenge!) and looked at NEW PUPPY ads