Replacing infertile eggs

[Tarloranne1397]

I have a female duck sitting in infertile eggs and have a few in the incubator that are fertile can I switch them so she can hatch the babies or do I just leave them in the incubator because she will not accept them?

Please help!

 

[junior67]

I have a female duck sitting in infertile eggs and have a few in the incubator that are fertile can I switch them so she can hatch the babies or do I just leave them in the incubator because she will not accept them?

Please help!

I am no expert so hopefully someone else comes along more experienced (and I have no experience with ducks) but how long has she been sitting and how long have the eggs been in the incubator? Not sure if they are like chickens but most chickens need to be sitting for around the time eggs take to hatch in order to take to chicks once they hatch (some will do it no matter what). But I know with chickens I gave mine fertilized eggs to replace the fake ones they were on and they were fine. It is easier to give them eggs that will hatch under them and have them accept them then it is to give them chicks.

I am actually giving my chicken some eggs I have in my incubator (she started sitting a couple days after I put them in I think it was. I am waiting till lock down and giving her them just so it isn't as long she is sitting on them even though she has proven to be a great sitter. Hoping she is as great of a mom as she is a sitter!

 

[SilverBirds]

Most hens are very good at accepting any eggs that are given to them. How long has she been broody and how old are the eggs?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don't have any experience with broody ducks, just broody chickens. From what I've read it is really hard to relocate a broody duck and get her to accept the move. I think they are relatively easy to scare off of a nest too, at night as well as during the day. I don't think the eggs being different would matter. I think she'd probably accept them if they hatched under her. Physically switching the eggs out without scaring her is where I'd be nervous.

You might be better off starting a new thread in the "ducks" section of this forum, you are more likely to attract the person you need to answer you.