Pekin mum

[Mccfish]

Hello, any help would be appreciated long story

A few months ago, someone dumped 2 girls and 1 drake in the caravan park that I live in, they have made themselves at home, people have been feeding them and they have about three acres to forage around in, with a wide river border.

They have been laying for a couple of months and a few people in the camp have been enjoying the free eggs, anyway as the weather has got hotter and they refuse to go swimming, I bought a little pool for them to paddle in, which they are. enjoying.

One of the girls went missing on or about the 7th of december, it took me ages to find her..... yep she is sitting.... problem is, she is sitting on the side of a very busy driveway under a very small hedge, against someone's cabin area, who wants her gone because they say it stinks, also they are about 20 cats in this park so I am worried about mum and eggs/babies, if any hatch.

my question is.... can I move her and nest to a safer place and if so when and how?

She had a lot of eggs 18 to start now only 8 remaining, lately we are finding broken eggs around, not far from her.

Yesterday, one of the neighbours chased all of the ducks away!!! , mumma duck was going back to her nest after one of her short breaks, it took her ages to come back to her nest, but she did. (She came back smelling terrible)

The other hen is laying ( 10 eggs so far, but in a different location) She is not sitting.
I know nothing about ducks and they are not mine but I am concerned

Could I have some advice on moving them safely please?

 

[nuthatched]

Can you call your animal control? Laws for animals change from place to place. She may abandon the nest if moved.

 

[Miss Lydia]

i would get in touch with animal shelters in your area some will take in poultry and find them a good home. it doesn't sound like this is a very good place for these to be living since some like them and others don't and now if ducklings are going to be hatched either a predator will get them or the cats will or possibly someone living there who doesn't like them to begin with. Mama duck will not be able to protect her ducklings. Where do you plan on moving them to?

 

[Mccfish]

I have made temporary accommodation for mum and babies , just need to know how to go about moving them safely, there are a lot of others in the camp that love them, not everybody is horrid

 

[Mccfish]

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have made temporary accommodation for mum and babies , just need to know how to go about moving them safely, there are a lot of others in the camp that love them, not everybody is horrid View attachment 3714069

You might have to wait till they begin to hatch then gather ducklings and the rest of the eggs and mum and take them to the place you have them that is secure. You did a good job as long as no raccoons can get in they are notorious for getting under or through things. When I have had to move one of my Muscovy that has been brooding I wait till hatch starts then move her and any ducklings that have hatched and any eggs left and place her where she can't get out and go back to where she was brooding . You must love them a lot to go to all this for them. Bless you.
I use a large box put a old clean towel in the bottom and place ducklings and eggs in it take it where I have set up for them get the ducklings and eggs in a nice nest with shavings [not cedar] then go get mama. I have also used a dog crate but either works fine.

 

[Mccfish]

You might have to wait till they begin to hatch then gather ducklings and the rest of the eggs and mum and take them to the place you have them that is secure. You did a good job as long as no raccoons can get in they are notorious for getting under or through things. When I have had to move one of my Muscovy that has been brooding I wait till hatch starts then move her and any ducklings that have hatched and any eggs left and place her where she can't get out and go back to where she was brooding . You must love them a lot to go to all this for them. Bless you.
I use a large box put a old clean towel in the bottom and place ducklings and eggs in it take it where I have set up for them get the ducklings and eggs in a nice nest with shavings [not cedar] then go get mama. I have also used a dog crate but either works fine.

Thank you, it was my intention to wait until hatching, but I feel that it's getting very unsafe, we don't have raccoons in New Zealand , but do have other critters equally as adept.
All I can do is try and hope she takes to her new nest, I will gather as much of her nest as possible

 

[Miss Lydia]

Do you know how long she has been brooding close estimate?28-30 days is the ball part for them hatching.
broken eggs around her could be predator but seems all would be broken and ate by now, Plus mama. Do you think a person would do this so that many ducklings wouldn't hatch. Over here to keep the wild geese and Muscovy population down they will ruin eggs that are laid in a nest.

You could try moving her before hatch but she may not stay but once the ducklings start hatching she goes into maternal instinct .

 

[Mccfish]

Do you know how long she has been brooding close estimate?

About the 7th of Dec

 

[Miss Lydia]

About the 7th of Dec

Okay well it is getting close will she let you look at her eggs? My Muscovy will let me pull the eggs out from under them and candle but some ducks aren't too keen on that. Just thinking if she'll let you then you can see when external pipping begins you'll know hatching is starting. When it gets close to hatch day also if she'll let you can put an egg up to your ear and hear peeping that lets you know it has internally pipped and external will be soon after..