We have a single muscovy duck. A couple months ago she built an awesome nest in the corner of the chicken coop (we have about a dozen hens and a roo) and has been sitting on it ever since. She laid a couple eggs, but nothing more. Over the last few weeks, I've rarely seen her off it and she's started being aggressive to us by hissing and charging when we enter the coop. But, no more eggs. Well, one of our reds laid an egg in her nest last weekend. We left it there, thinking it would give the duck something to brood. She's in there happily turning the egg, sitting on it endlessly. Well, now there are about half a dozen chicken eggs under this duck and she's started being VERY aggressive toward the other girls, and even chased off our generally-badass rooster. The kids are now scared of her. We're left not sure what to do! Do you think these eggs will actually hatch? I'm ready to just remove all the eggs and block her from the coop because she seems to neurotic I want to snap her out of it! Any thoughts? I realize this is a 'chicken' behavior forum, so is there somewhere else I should post this? Thanks in advance!
She's not psycho she's acting like a typical mom. Muscovies are a EXTREMELY brood breed of duck. She will hatch them out and take care of them as if they were her own. The only thing you need to worry about is making sure she doesn't take them into open water.
Broody = psycho. It is a determined hormonal state of mind that is hard for us to comprehend... She very well could hatch those eggs. My father always tells me stories about how he used to switch out the chicken and duck eggs when he was a kid. One of the best stories was of a hen with little duck beaks sticking out from all around her feathers. And when the baby ducks decided to go swimming the hen threw a fit, clucking and running back and forth along the creek bank.
Thanks! Good to know. I was wondering whether the eggs would hatch. Maybe they will and it'll get it out of her system, and we don't have to mess with incubating eggs.
x a million! That just totally cracked me up! We need pictures of the duck and chicks. Remember to ditch the pool for a few weeks!
