Please Help with my pekin ducks. Natural incubation.

[Thewaddleducks]

Most have internally pipped. So excited!! She only has 12 eggs in her clutch now. Im assuming the extra eggs were confusing her?

Also my fingers/nails are completely out of the way. Those are babies not me!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Looks like she is going to be a mama. So excited for you.
AND


One thing you might want to give is give her privacy drakes can kill ducklings and we never know which ones would attempt it. Giving her her own space without her drake is always best since when ducklings are hatching the first ones can wander while mama is still brooding and that can mean they are vulnerable to the drake. I usually let mama and ducklings have a few weeks separated but where everyone can still see each other. Then gradually start letting the mama and ducklings be around the drake with supervision.

 

[Thewaddleducks]

Looks like she is going to be a mama. So excited for you.
AND


One thing you might want to give is give her privacy drakes can kill ducklings and we never know which ones would attempt it. Giving her her own space without her drake is always best since when ducklings are hatching the first ones can wander while mama is still brooding and that can mean they are vulnerable to the drake. I usually let mama and ducklings have a few weeks separated but where everyone can still see each other. Then gradually start letting the mama and ducklings be around the drake with supervision.

My drake has been super protective over the nest. Never lets the dog or anyone besides my husband and myself near the eggs/nest.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I’d still keep an eye on him.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

My drake has been super protective over the nest. Never lets the dog or anyone besides my husband and myself near the eggs/nest.

They are protecting the female
Some drakes do fine but others do kill
I made a pen within my coop for my broody girl who hatched
This kept everyone away but could see the babies
At about 2 weeks I let mom bring them out with the flock

 

[Thewaddleducks]

Update:
Sad update.

Karen has given up. I have put all of the eggs into the incubator. Hopefully some will survive. Was super busy today so i was not able to pull them sooner! crossing my fingers.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

Update:
Sad update.

Karen has given up. I have put all of the eggs into the incubator. Hopefully some will survive. Was super busy today so i was not able to pull them sooner! crossing my fingers.

Long story short
A lady bought duck eggs from me for her goose. At day 19 she told me the goose left them
She didn’t own a bator and asked me if I wanted to try with mine. 24 hours after she left the nest I got 3 eggs back
I had little hope but all 3 hatched

 

[WhiteCollarWeezy]

Look at it like this. she has been sitting on those eggs for almost a month. and if you are in a warmer climate tis the season to make more babies. she is ready to breed and so is her drake. best of luck hatching. if you do hatch her ducklings i would try and give them back to her. show her she can be a good "wife" and a good mother. keep an eye out to see how her drake responses as well as how she acts towards the hatchlings. Just from watching my flock i feel even as humans we act alot like our birds just less exposed and way less vulgar. I hope we see pics or babies soon..

 

[Thewaddleducks]

Brought them all into the incubator. All are alive but one. She only sat on them at night or for a few minutes once a day for the last 4 days. Im so surprised they have made it this far! So excited!!

 

[Yardmom]

Wow Im really surprised they survived, another example of baby birds being tougher than we expect.

I think your duck hen is no longer broody, so you will likely need to raise the ducklings in a brooder.

The 3 eggs that were not developed were likely laid by her after her broody hormones disappeared