Possibly Abandoned Nest of a dozen eggs.

[LauraH14]

Hello,
I have a duck nest right nxt to my front porch. The duck has been great, sitting on the eggs and built up her nest. But, last night she disappeared. She hasnt been on the nest since last night and now its 6pm the next day. It has been cold and rainy. How long before I consider that she isnt coming back? How long do duck eggs take to hatch? She laid the first one on Easter. They must be pretty well developed by now? Can I hatch them if I need to?

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

If she's been gone for that long, sadly, she probably isn't coming back (if you're certain she hasn't been back). If you want to try to save the eggs, you'll need to put them in an incubator ASAP.

Duck eggs (with the exception of Muscovy) take around 28 days to hatch (Muscovy take around 35).

Best of luck!

 

[LauraH14]

Hello, I checked and discovered there are four eggs in the nest - not the original 11. There are also no shells or bits of shells anywhere. The nest was covered up, the way she does when she leaves.
What could that mean? Did the mother eat all the shells? Did most hatch and leave with her, but the remaining four didnt hatch? I know she laid them many days apart, because I saw the nest everyday. It makes sense they would hatch at different times. Will she return to check on these eggs? She would have to leave her babies to do that. WE live near a busy road. It has now been more than 24 hours since I have seen her at the nest - rainy and high fifties, low sixties. What are the chances the eggs are viable?