Really need good info on ducks hatching.

[5Chances]

I'm in a pickle with my Pekin. She has 17 eggs in her nest. She is crazy broody. Literally only gets off the best once a day MAYBE for 5 mins. She has been doing this consistently for two weeks. She started a nest around April 13. End of April she started taking this seriously and I don't think has laid any new eggs. I know a couple were busted and one day I watched her grab one and run out with it!! Leaving the 17. I KNOW at least two seem no good and are stinky. But I have no idea what stage these eggs should be at because it took her a while to figure this out. I tried candling with an led flashlight and am seeing different things, she wasn't gone long enough for me to really study them and when she saw me she pitched a fit! I WANT to take her off the nest and go through each egg and mark them and get rid of those stinky ones...but I know that will traumatize her. She is VEry serious about her Babies!!! Buy calculations they may be due anywhere from now to two weeks?? What do I do? I don't want 17 rotten eggs to keep sitting if she has no babies but I don't want to goof and toss out a viable duckling after all this work she is putting in. Any duck hatching experts around?? Your help, references, advice is GREATLY appreciated.

 

[wynn4578]

I generally candle with the duck or hen sitting on the nest. It doesn't traumatize them as much as you'd think unless she isn't used to being handled. It's important to get rid of any rotten eggs for several reasons. For one 17 eggs is too many and she likely won't be able to cycle the eggs properly leading to a poor hatch rate. Two the rotten eggs can introduce bacteria to the viable eggs and ruin them as well. If she breaks a rotten egg in the nest or it pops you could loose your whole hatch.

 

[5Chances]

I generally candle with the duck or hen sitting on the nest. It doesn't traumatize them as much as you'd think unless she isn't used to being handled. It's important to get rid of any rotten eggs for several reasons. For one 17 eggs is too many and she likely won't be able to cycle the eggs properly leading to a poor hatch rate. Two the rotten eggs can introduce bacteria to the viable eggs and ruin them as well. If she breaks a rotten egg in the nest or it pops you could loose your whole hatch.

That's helpful. Do you have any links or suggestions about candling so I can be 100% what I am looking at? If I get near her on the eggs-- she hisses and if try to reach towards her she bites (she is not an aggressive girl but she's always been a bit skittish even though I raised her from days old. One of my bigger concerns is - could she be sitting on eggs that are at different stages of development and if so how do I handle some possibly hatching when others aren't yet ready?

 

[wynn4578]

I don't have any links but you can search for a canceling chart for ducks. There is probably one on this site somewhere. As long as they are within a few days of each other she will likely hatch them. Beyond that she will abandon them to take care of the ones that have already hatched. If you have an incubator or know someone that might let you borrow one you could finish the late hatchets in there.

 

[5Chances]

I don't have any links but you can search for a canceling chart for ducks. There is probably one on this site somewhere. As long as they are within a few days of each other she will likely hatch them. Beyond that she will abandon them to take care of the ones that have already hatched. If you have an incubator or know someone that might let you borrow one you could finish the late hatchets in there.

Ok. Thank you very much for your help.

 

[wynn4578]

That should be candeling chart. Sometimes my phone thinks it knows better what I'm trying to type than I do.