Runner duck stopped sitting for a few hours...

[cheezenkwackers]

@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....

It is, but so is humidity. Too high of humidity has caused me more issues than temperature over the years. I do use an external thermostat on my cheap incubator so my temperature is pretty constant (as long as not one turns it off).

 

[PuddleEndChicken]

It is, but so is humidity. Too high of humidity has caused me more issues than temperature over the years. I do use an external thermostat on my cheap incubator so my temperature is pretty constant (as long as not one turns it off).

@cheezenkwackers that's good to know thanks - the incubator instructions were to keep it topped up with water and the humidity was probably too high.

 

[PuddleEndChicken]

@cheezenkwackers that's good to know thanks - the incubator instructions were to keep it topped up with water and the humidity was probably too high.

@Miss Lydia @cheezenkwackers @Colley12
Update.....another duck has become broody and is helping her sit on the nest - the two of them are doing it together now !! Never had a broody duck and now two - is it catching ?!

I wonder whether that's because it's currently 23F (-5C) at night ? Do they sort of double up to keep it warmer

Anyway I'm going to candle the eggs in the next couple of days and see if they're growing....

 

[Miss Lydia]

Oh it's def contagious. Happens around here a lot. Not in winter though.

 

[Isadora]

@Miss Lydia @cheezenkwackers @Colley12
Update.....another duck has become broody and is helping her sit on the nest - the two of them are doing it together now !! Never had a broody duck and now two - is it catching ?!

I wonder whether that's because it's currently 23F (-5C) at night ? Do they sort of double up to keep it warmer

Anyway I'm going to candle the eggs in the next couple of days and see if they're growing....

Last year I had three runners broody at the same time.

 

[PuddleEndChicken]

@Miss Lydia @Colley12 @cheezenkwackers Just to update you, we got to day 28 and then waited a few more days but nothing hatched. I candled the eggs, some were in different stages of development. One egg seemed nearly full but she'd kicked it out of the nest for some reason and it was cold. There was one which seemed to have a double shell which the chick couldn't break through.

All very disappointing. As she's still broody and this time will be sitting tight from the start, I've put 3 new eggs (from other ducks) under her and we'll have another go.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'm sorry this hatch didn't work out. letting her sit again has some risks though. Make sure she comes out every day and eats, drinks and swims if the weather cooperates on the swimming, she keeps the humidity steady with swimming, she can also get herself wet enough by splashing in a deep bowl or bucket too. Hopefully, you'll get some duckling this go around.

 

[PuddleEndChicken]

I'm sorry this hatch didn't work out. letting her sit again has some risks though. Make sure she comes out every day and eats, drinks and swims if the weather cooperates on the swimming, she keeps the humidity steady with swimming, she can also get herself wet enough by splashing in a deep bowl or bucket too. Hopefully, you'll get some duckling this go around.

Thank you. She's in a routine where about twice a day she runs off the nest, eats and drinks and bathes in a paddling pool of water (she's a runner they don't really like deep water). Then she seems happy to stay on her nest all day (whilst the other 7 go around in a group outside). Sometimes one of the others sits with her but mainly she seems OK to sit on her own.
This last clutch has got her into the routine so she might manage to hatch a clutch if she keeps this up. But I'm just concerned that when hens and ducks brood they lose weight and nutrients and it exhausts them....

 

[Miss Lydia]

If you have poultry vitamins you can add some to her drinking water. And just make sure she keeps up with coming out to eat drink and of course that nasty broody poop.
Your a good duck mom to be concerned.
I have Runners who will be 7 yrs old in April and have never shown an interest in brooding so your very blessed to have one that can sit tight. And then again i also have Muscovy who once spring gets here think it's their duty to brood all spring and summer even if they don't have eggs under them. lol
Keep us updated.

 

[PuddleEndChicken]

If you have poultry vitamins you can add some to her drinking water. And just make sure she keeps up with coming out to eat drink and of course that nasty broody poop.
Your a good duck mom to be concerned.
I have Runners who will be 7 yrs old in April and have never shown an interest in brooding so your very blessed to have one that can sit tight. And then again i also have Muscovy who once spring gets here think it's their duty to brood all spring and summer even if they don't have eggs under them. lol
Keep us updated.

I'll let you know. I might put a few more of the duck eggs under a bantam as insurance as well