The Broody Duck Thread for 2014

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Lots of variables with a Broody, lbrykowski. I have a feeling she's getting ready to sit for you.

 

[lbrykowski2011]

Lots of variables with a Broody, lbrykowski. I have a feeling she's getting ready to sit for you.

That would be so cool, she was back in this morning. Naglady would like some muscovy ducklings, so I'm hoping to do this for her also. I did collect eggs again yesterday cuz she came out all afternoon again. So now I just have to figure out when it's the best time to quit collecting eggs and see what happens I suppose.

 

[DaisyMeadow]

I have a rouen who I have seen sitting in the morning and evening on the nest, but then she's off of it all day long. She's been doing this for about a week now. Hoping she's going to get serious and stay full time soon now.

 

[lbrykowski2011]

I have a rouen who I have seen sitting in the morning and evening on the nest, but then she's off of it all day long. She's been doing this for about a week now. Hoping she's going to get serious and stay full time soon now.

Do you just leave all the eggs in the nest day after day or collect them once she gets up?

 

[DaisyMeadow]

Do you just leave all the eggs in the nest day after day or collect them once she gets up?

I have been leaving the eggs. I'm pretty sure it's some sort of communal nest. I have way too many free range ducks to track them all. But I've even seen the occasional goose egg in there, too. (It's back into a brush pile, right beside a nest occupied by at least one, sometimes two geese)

I only have 2 rouens, and I call them "Crazy mamas" because they get right to business with the brooding, sitting, and eating bit. When they're off the nest, they find you and make you give them food. Then they go right back to the nest. One even sought out my hubby, walking into his workshop just to bark at him to tell him to leave her nearby nest alone while she was away eating.

 

[lbrykowski2011]

I only have 4 ducks. 2 Khaki Campbell's(females) and 2 muscovy(male and female). Think it would be easier, lol. Even though it's been almost a yr, I still feel totally new to this and so many questions. I'm just afraid of how many days leaving them there and them going bad or something. The 3 females are all laying in the same nest now.

My male has been hitting or biting the back of my leg when I go to leave the pen these last few days. Doesn't hurt, but hits pretty hard and just catches me off guard. Never know if he's playing or not. He only does it when I go to walk out of the pen, he will actually run behind me to catch up and as soon as I touch the gate, BAM!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I only have 4 ducks. 2 Khaki Campbell's(females) and 2 muscovy(male and female). Think it would be easier, lol. Even though it's been almost a yr, I still feel totally new to this and so many questions. I'm just afraid of how many days leaving them there and them going bad or something. The 3 females are all laying in the same nest now.

My male has been hitting or biting the back of my leg when I go to leave the pen these last few days. Doesn't hurt, but hits pretty hard and just catches me off guard. Never know if he's playing or not. He only does it when I go to walk out of the pen, he will actually run behind me to catch up and as soon as I touch the gate, BAM!!!

I leave the eggs, but I mark them 1-thru so when she does decide I then take out the oldest till I get the AMOUNT of eggs I want her to sit on. whether it's 4 or 8 or how many. Then in 7 days I candled and toss out any that are growing.

 

[lbrykowski2011]

Ok, that makes alot of sense. So how do you know when she's serious, after she's been on a few days or a week? Also, if I take out the oldest eggs, can I still use them in the house to cook with? Not sure if there's a time limit that they can b outside and still b good for inside. Sorry for all the questions, just love learning so much on here.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Ok, that makes alot of sense. So how do you know when she's serious, after she's been on a few days or a week? Also, if I take out the oldest eggs, can I still use them in the house to cook with? Not sure if there's a time limit that they can b outside and still b good for inside. Sorry for all the questions, just love learning so much on here.

Depends on weather and length of time, if eggs are in the nest longer than a week and it's cool I bring them in and scrambled or boil for the dogs. After 2 weeks I toss them out. As far as her committing if they start staying on the nest 27/7 except to come out to poop and eat and bath and have their feathers all ruffled out screeching like a ban she then you know she is serious. lol

 

[Olyflock]

We have a runner that went broody about a week ago, this is our first broody duck, though we've had chickens brood and hatch/raise chicks before. She built a nest in the coop where she sleeps with our 6 other ducks (runners, rouens, a blue swedish and a khaki campbell) and we haven't moved her as we don't want her to abandon the nest. Currently she is sitting on a handful of eggs that we didn't collect before she went broody, eggs that she and the other ducks laid over the last week, and one chicken egg from a hen that escaped and laid in the duck house. I have a few questions for folks:

-About half the eggs were added to the nest in the first week after she started sitting--is this ok?
-We should pull the chicken egg, right?
-Any advice on candling? We don't want to get bitten or chase her off the nest, but she doesn't leave it at night, and I think we need the darkness to see properly.

Thanks!