Swedish blues

[cnaudiffred]

I bought 3 Swedish blues 9 months ago..I'm currently down to 2 of them. They have 1.5 acres to roam free along with my chocolate lab, which doesn't bother them. It got down to 18 degrees with sleet 2days ago and when I went to check on them found one laying on 10-13 eggs...put a light shining on them and now temps are going up..I don't know how old they are..will the duck lay on them if they are unfertilized? Idk what I need to do..they don't have a coop..never have had one..any help is appreciated..thanks

 

[dtaratut]

She is probably just becoming broody. I would just throw the eggs out unless you have a male and their gonna hatch...just close of the area so they dont lay there again

 

[cnaudiffred]

I'm assuming I do have a male..one is big white and grey and the other is small, black with white chest..that's the one laying on the eggs

 

[dtaratut]

Does one have a curly tail feather? If so then that one is a male

 

[cnaudiffred]

And by closing the area off..completely?...I still want the duck to lay on them though right? sry so many questions...Looks like maybe the grey one has curled tail feathers...?

PS: the black duck is the one that I saw laying on the eggs.

 

[cnaudiffred]

I did look closer awhile ago and the grey one has 1 curled up thing/feathers at his but

 

[dtaratut]

then leave the eggs be, the eggs will hatch when they hatch. Leave to mother to sit on the eggs and i would put a long circle of wire around her so she continuously sits on them and night predators wont bother her...the male will stay close by. The eggs seem healthy. if u don't want any more ducks then just throw these eggs away before its to late. Or you can just sell the ducklings when they hatch!

 

[cnaudiffred]

Thank you but still confused about the wire around her...just trying to learn as I go here

 

[dtaratut]

your gonna want to guard her off to make sure she doesn't get attacked by predators at night. you don't want to bring her in to the coop at night cause then the eggs will get cold and die. You must let her sit on the eggs 24/7. Get some chicken wire or mesh and make a big loop around the area she is laying her eggs. Put a bowl of water inside the round area and let her in it. she will rarely get up to drink or eat while sitting so make sure she is secure and safe in her wire mesh.

 

[cnaudiffred]

OK now I know what I need to do. But, let me say this..I haven't actually seen her laying in the eggs after that one morning.. But I work so.. Im off tomorrow so I will check and see if she is on there early morning..so needless to say she is not sitting on them 24/7..I will post an update if I see her laying in them in the morning. Another note, they don't have a coop. I wanted Them to be like "real" ducks and that has been working for them. They have plenty of land and a bid pond.. I'll post update in morning and if she is laying on them only on nights, still wire her off?