Something weird is happening with Izzy's eggs...Update pg.2

[Emmalion]

It sounds like another duck is taking the opening and grabbing the eggs. You may have an egg eater on your hands and you just don't know it. You wouldn't happen to have a game cam would you? Granted it will be a million pics to go through but you might find the culprit

 

[aduckstolemyheart]

Enchanted,

I have two dogs ( a golden and a Saint Beernard/Great Pyrenees mix, both of which, only go out on chains and never would touch the eggs, even if they could reach them. I also have two cats, one is strictly indoors, and the other older cat goes outside, but he is a big baby. Sweet as can be, in fact, he used to lay with our other ducks when they were ducklings inside the house last year. So I have serious doubts that he had anything to do with it.

As for kids, I suppose it's possible. The eggs are in a spot that is very difficult to reach inside their pen. We have an L shaped pen, with doors on each end. She made the nest in the middle, and without crawling inside, it would be impossible to reach. But it IS doable I suppose.

 

[aduckstolemyheart]

I do not have one, no. I'm a photographer so I have plenty of cameras, but not one that could do that. I could ask around and see if anyone I know has one though!

 

[aduckstolemyheart]

Well the dog run is set up now. We are still putting the finishing touches on it, and wrapping the bottom in wire. Then we'll add the tarp to the top and be done for the night. We cannot pick up the giant Dogloo until tomorrow morning, so I think we're going to put the other three ducks in the run for the night, instead of moving Izzy's nest twice. Then tomorrow when the dogloo is all set up for her we will move her and her eggs into the run.

At least she will have tonight to herself in their main pen, so if it is another duck, her eggs ought to be safe for the night. Will take pics of her new run tomorrow and post 'em, so you can let me know what you think.

 

[aduckstolemyheart]

Got Izzy's nest moved over into the new Dogloo in her private run. She's very mad right now. She wants OUT of the run, and so far has not settled down to sit on her eggs. When I go close to the run, she stomps into the dogloo and covers them, so it appears she still sees them as hers.

When should she settle down enough to sit on her eggs again instead of worrying about her new surroundings? I don't want them getting too cold.

 

[Paintedhorsegirl]

Wow, it sounds like your having quite the time with your ducks. Has momma duck settled down yet? Im sure she will, anytime mine got frazzled she would run about all frantic , I would leave and check on her 10 minutes later , she was always back on her nest. Let us know how it goes...

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

Good Luck with it...sounds like maybe a raccoon. A few years back I had a goose on the nest and the next day I would find eggs in the yard broken..well I set the have a heart trap and caught a big raccoon. No more missing eggs after that.

 

[aduckstolemyheart]

She is still staying in the run, and not in the dogloo with her eggs There wound up being 5 not 4! She goes in and moves them around, and covers them with straw, but is NOT sitting on them. Going on three hours now, and I am getting worried. A few people have suggested locking her into the Dogloo. Which is what we've done now. She keeps rolling the eggs everywhere though, and can't seem to settle in with them. And I am not even kidding, I sat and watched her doing summersaults over the eggs. This is a nightmare...

 

[mominoz]

I hope it works out for you...read this too late, but everything I have ever read says, not to move a duck nest, unlike chickens, it usually never works. Maybe if you are lucky she will settle. It could have been a rat or snake..... I had goose eggs disappear like that.....where she was inside her day pen , nothing else could get in, all wired and hot wired.
The other possibility is maybe the eggs were bad or stopped developing and she pushed them out. One of my ducks did that, I didn't candle them or anything and she started with 6 and only 2 hatched , I'd find an egg occasionally rolled out of the nest ....(She was very protective and inside a hardwire cloth and fenced duck coop.

 

[agregg15]

Weasels or rats might be your problem. They can basically squeeze through anything (even the finest chicken wire.) It could also be a small possum, but I doubt it since a possum would most likely eat it all. A weasel would probably eat it all as well.