The Broody Duck Thread for 2014

[Ren2014]

is that veins up towards the air sac? kinda looks like them . if so that would mean that duckling is pretty far along. Either that or it's rotten but I don't see how because she hasn't been sitting that long this go around right? Sometime other ducks will go in and mess around in the eggs. I'd take a piece of ply wood if you have some and lean it over to the wall and make like a lil private area for the nest it may not keep everyone out if she leaves but it might make her feel more secure.be sure to secure the ply wood to the wall to keep it from falling onto her or the eggs.

Sorry, I should have said that was a picture from one of my candling charts. I'm afraid it is a rotten egg as you said, she hasn't been sitting that long. BIG SURPRISE tonight when I went to put them up. Momma was back on the nest. She came out to eat meal worms with the others and I was able to take some pics. We have two duck houses inside a fully enclosed horse stall turned duck pen. The big house is where everyone else stays at night and the small house is where her nest is.


Small house inside looking to right:



Looking down at nest:


This pic shows the divider moved. When it was there, each side had a nest of eggs:


When I left a bunch the other day, this is how many I know waaayyy tooo many but I just wasn't sure.

 

[Mrs.H]

That's a lot of eggs!

 

[Ren2014]

That's a lot of eggs!

Alot of them are not fertile from what I could tell when candling. I had planned to cull it way down today. I removed some eggs when I removed the divider the other day but I didn't want to change it up too much at once by taking most of the eggs.

 

[Mrs.H]

Maybe that many eggs is just getting too overwhelming for her??? I would def candle them and just give her enough to sit on. I was told eggs can stay fertile at least a week before a duck needs to sit 24/7. You said she hasn't been sitting long? So there still might be a slight chance

 

[Ren2014]

Maybe that many eggs is just getting too overwhelming for her??? I would def candle them and just give her enough to sit on. I was told eggs can stay fertile at least a week before a duck needs to sit 24/7. You said she hasn't been sitting long? So there still might be a slight chance

O gosh, I didn't even think of that. I will cut it down tomorrow for sure now. No, she has not been sitting long at all. Fingers crossed!

 

[Mrs.H]

When my 2 girls went broody my main broody sat on most of the eggs while the other one sat on the extras. I never did get a total but it was no more than 12-14. Seems as if once my main broody kicked out eggs she took on the others till she had them all. That why I said maybe it's overwheming. Is this the same duck/eggs that you posted about a month or 2 ago that you found and moved? Or is this a new duck/eggs?

 

[Miss Lydia]

That dif needs to be cut back, even if most hatched with winter coming I don't see how she could keep them all warm. I like your set up and looks like she has plenty of privacy. when ducklings hatch you may want to keep them and mom inside that lil room [another reason for cutting back egg count] to protect them from the rest. other flock member can be mean to newly hatched babies, not always but it has been known to happen.

Glad to hear she came back, hope she sticks it out this time.
Oh and just the other day a member posted about her mama duck and ducklings it appears mama wasn't able to keep some warm and they chilled and started dieing, she has brought the remaining in the house to brood. This time a year it's a tough call on letting ducklings hatch. Being in Texas has it's advantage but still going to be a challenge. Keep us updated.

 

[Ren2014]

When my 2 girls went broody my main broody sat on most of the eggs while the other one sat on the extras. I never did get a total but it was no more than 12-14. Seems as if once my main broody kicked out eggs she took on the others till she had them all. That why I said maybe it's overwheming. Is this the same duck/eggs that you posted about a month or 2 ago that you found and moved? Or is this a new duck/eggs?

Same duck different eggs.

That dif needs to be cut back, even if most hatched with winter coming I don't see how she could keep them all warm. I like your set up and looks like she has plenty of privacy. when ducklings hatch you may want to keep them and mom inside that lil room [another reason for cutting back egg count] to protect them from the rest. other flock member can be mean to newly hatched babies, not always but it has been known to happen.

Glad to hear she came back, hope she sticks it out this time.
Oh and just the other day a member posted about her mama duck and ducklings it appears mama wasn't able to keep some warm and they chilled and started dieing, she has brought the remaining in the house to brood. This time a year it's a tough call on letting ducklings hatch. Being in Texas has it's advantage but still going to be a challenge. Keep us updated.

I cut it back today. I just don't know what to think of this girl. She was sitting on the eggs this morning but this evening she was out and they were all cold. I knew this was pushing it close to winter. I'm going to candle again Sat. and if I don't find anything I'm going to pull them all.

 

[Mrs.H]

Same duck different eggs.

I cut it back today.  I just don't know what to think of this girl.  She was sitting on the eggs this morning but this evening she was out and they were all cold.  I knew this was pushing it close to winter.  I'm going to candle again Sat. and if I don't find anything I'm going to pull them all.

My ducks didn't sit on theirs at night however that was only for the first week. Maybe you will have better luck in the spring

 

[Miss Lydia]

Same duck different eggs.

I cut it back today. I just don't know what to think of this girl. She was sitting on the eggs this morning but this evening she was out and they were all cold. I knew this was pushing it close to winter. I'm going to candle again Sat. and if I don't find anything I'm going to pull them all.

Might be best they can sure be fickle and drive us nuts.