The Broody Duck Thread for 2014

[ryanhodapp]

Drakes can be rough on females, mating in the water fowl world is rough. But I love my drake now that I only have 2 when I had 4 it was way too much testosterone for everyone.

I'd monitor the eggs especially if it gets past 30-34 days you don't want eggs rotting and bursting in the nest that would be alot of nasty bacteria.

Hope you get a few more ducklings.

I candled. In one I see nothing. Very dark bottom 2/3 and then air sack. The other one, we see a chick. We can see head and wings. No movement and we watched for 3-4 minutes. So we are giving it a few more days unless someone tells us we are done.
I don't think the Silkies have more than a day or two either.

I think their is enough humidity because the towel is soaked!
The baby startled me. I was looking to see if there was any hatching action and I see a bill come out from under mama. Not a new hatch, just baby getting settled.

 

[LisaSettle]

Yesterday one of my Broody ducks hatched her first duckling... Still 14 eggs to go and i am very excited. I am new to duck keeping and wondered. If there is anything i should be doing to help... I'm planning just to leave everything to nature as both mums are sat next to each other and duckling number 1 keeps sitting under both of them, she doesn't seem to know which mum is hers, is this normal? Also hoe long should it be till all eggs are hatched? Any advice would be appreciated

 

[Kathy farms]

Yesterday one of my Broody ducks hatched her first duckling... Still 14 eggs to go and i am very excited. I am new to duck keeping and wondered. If there is anything i should be doing to help... I'm planning just to leave everything to nature as both mums are sat next to each other and duckling number 1 keeps sitting under both of them, she doesn't seem to know which mum is hers, is this normal? Also hoe long should it be till all eggs are hatched? Any advice would be appreciated

Leave moms to do their work. Once the hatch has started it's likely the rest would follow soon. Remember not all eggs were laid same day. Give yourself some 48hrs and if there are no new hatches you candle and see the state of the eggs. Keep us posted

 

[LisaSettle]

We now have three ducklings and all seems to be going well but still 11 more eggs so I'm just keeping fingers crossed and leaving the mums but if no change tomorrow i may take a closer look but i don't want to stress them as they seem tone doing really well.
thankyou

 

[Kathy farms]

One of my Muscovy girls hatched 15 ducklings today. Can she still sit on another set of eggs that is due to hatch in a week? This is because the girl sitting on them is focusing on some new eggs that were laid besides where she's sat all these weeks

 

[CyndiD]

We had three or four go broody last year.  I let them sit on duds.  I feel that one of these days I may want to hatch a few.  And now that we have a drake…..handsome, fairly mellow boy.

Hi Amiga, i was searching for a "broody duck" topic & saw ur post here, i know this is last yrs post but, my Q. is, should i et my 1 yr old hen (f&w) runner sit on unfertile eggs? This is jer first time sitting & i am amazed because i have read that runners r usually not good sitters.
Should i let her practice sitting on her eggs & her sisters eggs? I also have a male blue runner but he is only 7 wks old right now im sure he will be her new husband soon enough. Thanks

 

[Amiga]

I let mine practice. I feel that should I decide to hatch, I would prefer a broody do it for me. So I let them sit on duds, and make sure they get enough to eat (I make a special visit to feed peas once a day in addition to making sure they eat during their breaks.).

 

[CyndiD]

Thanks Amiga, my hen finally came out of her nest about 10am & i collected t/eggs.

 

[Flowerbh]

Needing quick advice: I have a Khaki Campbell that went broody. My Runner Duck always laid her egg next to the KC. So, when the KC went broody, she started collecting eggs. Well, she's not stopping! Every morning my Runner will go and lay her egg next to the KC, the KC steals it before I can get it in the morning. I think she now has over 25 eggs under her! We all know that is not going to work......so what do I do? She literally has a fortress built up full of eggs! I don't know the older eggs from the newer ones, and she doesn't want us bothering the eggs. Has anyone had this happen? What happens in the end. Does she just hatch the first dozen and leave the ones that don't hatch?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Needing quick advice: I have a Khaki Campbell that went broody. My Runner Duck always laid her egg next to the KC. So, when the KC went broody, she started collecting eggs. Well, she's not stopping! Every morning my Runner will go and lay her egg next to the KC, the KC steals it before I can get it in the morning. I think she now has over 25 eggs under her! We all know that is not going to work......so what do I do? She literally has a fortress built up full of eggs! I don't know the older eggs from the newer ones, and she doesn't want us bothering the eggs. Has anyone had this happen? What happens in the end. Does she just hatch the first dozen and leave the ones that don't hatch?

Your going to have hatched and some half way and others farther along and some just starting in other words they are going to be from start to hatch. She'll hatch the ones that she originally started on and after the last one of that batch hatches she'll get off and leave the rest. So you'll be left with ducklings at various stages in eggs. what to do with them well if you don't have a bator not much you can do unless you have another broody willing to sit till the others are ready to hatch. Broody should be in her own space where others can't lay in her nest. I have a broody that will let the chickens come in and lay in her nest so everyday I have to stick my hand under her and pull out the chickens eggs.only difference is I can tell a chicken eggs from hers.