Runner ducks protective of eggs?

[Jenthecanadian]

So, my husband is the one who is supposed to collect the runner ducks eggs every morning and he's been slacking a bit. One of our ladies is currently sitting on about four eggs. She hisses at me if i get close. What should we do? Will she eat? Are they fertilized? Will she be traumatized if we take them from her? We have two females and two males. I've never seen her act like this before.

 

[Poultry parent]

She sounds broody.

She won't be traumatized if you take the eggs, but she'll probably sit on another clutch.

They're definitely fertile with that drake to hen ratio.

She'll eat

 

[Jenthecanadian]

Thank you! Can you tell we,re pretty new to this? If we let her be, would the eggs actually hatch? I've read that runners don't usually hatch their own eggs.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Depends on the duck, she may stick to it.

 

[Ducktown]

I'm sure she will. If she's so devoted to defend the eggs she's currently hatching. I would leave her alone and possibly place her somewhere away from drakes when the ducklings hatch.

 

[Jenthecanadian]

Thank you! She ended up just leaving them,so her maternal instincts were just kind of temporary

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have a couple Runners who think they'd like to try at brooding doesn't last long though. But my girls did come from Runners who stayed the course so there is always a chance some will stick it out. Might depend on maturity too. Mine are just a year old.

 

[chickens really]

They do leave the nest off and on every couple of days to eat, drink, poop and bath....She still might be broody?....