Runner duck stopped sitting for a few hours...

[PuddleEndChicken]

My runner duck has laid a clutch of 8 eggs and been sitting well the last 3 days on a nest in the barn.

Today we had high winds and the barn door slammed and she was locked out from her nest for a period of time - could have been a few minutes but could have been as long as 2 1/2 hours until we realised and opened the door. She ran straight back to the nest. She had left the eggs covered in straw but they felt cold to the touch (it's about 40 degrees F outside today).

I feel cross with myself that I didn't secure the door better, I won't do that again.

What are the chances that we've lost the eggs now ? I've not tried to hatch duck eggs under a duck before, only under a bantam!!

Should I get rid of these eggs and start again as some of the other ducks are laying and I could put them under her whilst she's still broody.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Colley12]

Bumping the post, you should get some good responses soon!

 

[PuddleEndChicken]

Many thanks @Colley12

 

[SilverBirds]

Only time will tell. Try and candle them when they are on day 8 and see if you can spot any development.

 

[Coops Dad]

They'll be fine. They're much more resilient early on than later.

 

[PuddleEndChicken]

@SilverBirds @Coops Dad Thank you both - I'll keep going then and candle on about day 8 and report back.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Oh my gosh makes me think of some my hens[chickens] who would be in a nest box brooding and another hen would come in make the broody leave then the broody would come back and climb into another nest box to wait and for some reason forget to get back on her eggs. I would find her still off and put her back and miracle upon miracle those eggs would hatch. Hopefully, it will be the same for your Runner. How awesome to have a broody Runner I don't think my Runners could sit still long enough to brood a clutch of eggs.

 

[PuddleEndChicken]

@Miss Lydia you're right ! I've had runners for a while now and this is the first one that's ever got broody ! I've always hatched my runners under a Pekin Bantam until now !

 

[cheezenkwackers]

I had a member of the school cleaning crew turn off my incubator full of chicken eggs at about a week in. I discovered it the next day. The eggs were cold and I was sure all lost. I plugged it back in, added hot water bottles to speed up the warm up and much to my amazement they all lived and hatched. So, I wouldn’t worry.

 

[PuddleEndChicken]

@cheezenkwackers wow that's amazing, gives me hope thank you !

I guess I'm more worried than I might be because I hatched out some Pekin Bantam chicks last year in a poor quality incubator I bought online and the temperature wasn't quite right. Only 3 of 12 hatched and those 3 were deformed and died within days. So I realised how important the temperature is to a good hatch....