The Broody Duck Thread for 2014

[lina500]

So one of my ducks hatched her first egg today. She has another one that has pipped, and a third that I think is dead. I have had ducklings several times, but never with a mama duck, so I am unsure what my role in all of this is. The mama lives in my garden with several other ducks (1 adult drake, 1 6-week-old drake, 1 adult female, 3 almost adult females I think, 5 three-week-old ducklings) and 2 geese. Do I need to separate her from the rest of the flock? I have special duckling food, do I need to leave it with her? Should I be checking on her to make sure she's taking care of the duckling? It's her first hatch as well as mine. And I, at least, am totally clueless. I'm not sure where she stands on the issue.

calling @Miss Lydia

 

[Miss Lydia]

So one of my ducks hatched her first egg today. She has another one that has pipped, and a third that I think is dead. I have had ducklings several times, but never with a mama duck, so I am unsure what my role in all of this is. The mama lives in my garden with several other ducks (1 adult drake, 1 6-week-old drake, 1 adult female, 3 almost adult females I think, 5 three-week-old ducklings) and 2 geese. Do I need to separate her from the rest of the flock? I have special duckling food, do I need to leave it with her? Should I be checking on her to make sure she's taking care of the duckling? It's her first hatch as well as mine. And I, at least, am totally clueless. I'm not sure where she stands on the issue.

calling @Miss Lydia

Congrats Lina so exciting to have ducklings again and having a mama to care for them is also nice. I would diff give her and ducklings their own space for at least 3 weeks where everyone can see each other but mom and babes are protected. They need to begin eating on day 2 so put out food tomorrow and make sure you put moms water up high enough babies can't climb into it an drown. I make my waterers I'll get a pic. Keep an eye on her to make sure she is attentive and that duckling doesn't get separated because if she has eggs hatching she isn't going to go look for a stray duckling and that is when they can get hurt and killed by other flock members . Pics when you can!!

I make a water container similar to this and make hole just large enough for duckling to get it's head in safely then cut to fit as they grow. this keeps ducklings out of container and area around drier.

 

[lina500]

Thank you @Miss Lydia . I will fence off the duck house away from the rest of the flocks. Tomorrow I will check and see how the progress is...I think there will only be two ducklings so hopefully that will be easier for her to take care of.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you @Miss Lydia . I will fence off the duck house away from the rest of the flocks. Tomorrow I will check and see how the progress is...I think there will only be two ducklings so hopefully that will be easier for her to take care of.

@lina500 I like for mine to have a small clutch when first timers they just do so much better. Is this one of your first ducks you got? I know she or one tried last year or was it first of this year and nothing hatched? I look forward to seeing them hope this lil one gets at least one sib.

 

[lina500]

@Miss Lydia Yes, this is our first duck that we got. Our other one tried earlier in the year and had no successful hatches. I went and checked this morning and the egg that had externally pipped was dead, with its little beak coming out of the shell. So sad. So there is one duckling, but it looks alive and happy. I removed the other eggs from the nest (there was one more that stopped developing two days ago). I was really hoping she would get two, but at least one is alive. I hope it survives! I think I know for next time to get more involved earlier. I hadn't even checked the nest at first and she had 15 eggs, stacked in two layers. Maybe she'll know better next time.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@Miss Lydia Yes, this is our first duck that we got. Our other one tried earlier in the year and had no successful hatches. I went and checked this morning and the egg that had externally pipped was dead, with its little beak coming out of the shell. So sad. So there is one duckling, but it looks alive and happy. I removed the other eggs from the nest (there was one more that stopped developing two days ago). I was really hoping she would get two, but at least one is alive. I hope it survives! I think I know for next time to get more involved earlier. I hadn't even checked the nest at first and she had 15 eggs, stacked in two layers. Maybe she'll know better next time.

I'm sorry, but as long as baby is safe and mama is attentive it should do fine. Just remember predators of all sizes love ducklings.

15 eggs of my someone was helping out there I'd say. I don't think she will know better, once you see one going broody and is sitting 24/7 except for short breaks go look at her eggs and take out what you don't want her to sit on I have done that for years believe me they don't care if the have 2 or 10 as long as they have eggs. 4-6 eggs is a good # that way if you lose a few hopefully a few will hatch. Keep us updated and pics when you can.

 

[lina500]

I'm sorry, but as long as baby is safe and mama is attentive it should do fine. Just remember predators of all sizes love ducklings.

15 eggs of my someone was helping out there I'd say. I don't think she will know better, once you see one going broody and is sitting 24/7 except for short breaks go look at her eggs and take out what you don't want her to sit on I have done that for years believe me they don't care if the have 2 or 10 as long as they have eggs. 4-6 eggs is a good # that way if you lose a few hopefully a few will hatch. Keep us updated and pics when you can.

Yes, both of our adult females were sharing the nest. The one duck that hatched looks exactly like our other duck, black with a white bib.

I wasn't paying attention and didn't realize they had accumulated so many in there. It wasn't too long ago that I removed eggs and got her down to 8. It was interesting because half of the 15 were not fertilized. We had another male that we just rehomed, and I suspect neither of our ducks wanted his babies!

I didn't start candling and removing until about 2.5 or 3 weeks in. They kept dying in the egg. I think if she had just started out with 6, she would have hatched more, 15 or even 8 was too many for her to handle.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes, both of our adult females were sharing the nest. The one duck that hatched looks exactly like our other duck, black with a white bib.

I wasn't paying attention and didn't realize they had accumulated so many in there. It wasn't too long ago that I removed eggs and got her down to 8. It was interesting because half of the 15 were not fertilized. We had another male that we just rehomed, and I suspect neither of our ducks wanted his babies!

I didn't start candling and removing until about 2.5 or 3 weeks in. They kept dying in the egg. I think if she had just started out with 6, she would have hatched more, 15 or even 8 was too many for her to handle.

it can over run quick when more than one is laying. I think 6 is a good number for them and much easier for us too.

 

[Ren2014]

hello everyone. I've been away for a long time and sorry to say I'm back with bad news

Our ducks never hatched any eggs or went broody after their first attempts but I recently had two broody chickens and I put one duck egg in with each of them after a few days. Long story short... ended up with just one broody, 1 chicken egg and 1 duck egg. (kicked the other broody into the broody breaker pen when I realized she was breaking eggs) The chicken egg hatched on Friday and all seemed well with the duck egg until today. Momma was still sitting on it yesterday but I noticed she was ignoring it today. After much thought, I decided to make a little hole it the egg and then ended opening it to find a dead baby duck

Can anybody tell anything about what might have happened by this picture?? If that is the yolk being absorbed, it was really hard. Thanks for any thoughts or ideas.

 

[Miss Lydia]

hello everyone. I've been away for a long time and sorry to say I'm back with bad news

Our ducks never hatched any eggs or went broody after their first attempts but I recently had two broody chickens and I put one duck egg in with each of them after a few days. Long story short... ended up with just one broody, 1 chicken egg and 1 duck egg. (kicked the other broody into the broody breaker pen when I realized she was breaking eggs) The chicken egg hatched on Friday and all seemed well with the duck egg until today. Momma was still sitting on it yesterday but I noticed she was ignoring it today. After much thought, I decided to make a little hole it the egg and then ended opening it to find a dead baby duck

Can anybody tell anything about what might have happened by this picture?? If that is the yolk being absorbed, it was really hard. Thanks for any thoughts or ideas.

I am so sorry you lost the duckling I cannot say what may have happened but @Lacrystol maybe able to say.