Update!

[CRH1223]

So last week I discovered that my ducks have made a nest and laid 6 eggs. A week later the female still sits on the eggs and only gets up when I open up there pen and let the roam and and change there swimming water. She swims for a bit then goes right back to the nest. She is louder then ever. My biggest fear is that she will abandon the eggs.

 

[DuckyMom]

What breed is she?

Emily

 

[CRH1223]

Pekin

 

[Bleenie]

Wow, isn't it pretty uncommon for Pekins to go broody?

 

[Blooming chicks]

Good Luck, hopefully she stays on those eggs. Mine is on a nest of 15 eggs right now--about 11 are growing. It is so exciting! Mine is a Magpie with either a magpie dad and/or a mallard dad. Can't wait to see what hatches. Keep us updated on yours.

 

[tbitt]

Quote:
Is this true? Are Pekins not the broody kind?

 

[Wifezilla]

The usually aren't but sometimes you will get a duck that gets all maternal. There have been khaki camp bells and even runners that have gone broody even though neither breed is known for brooding ability. I even had a runner successfully raise a clutch of 12!

 

[aduckstolemyheart]

Yeah, have a Saxony that went broody and has sat through a full 30 days on eggs that didn't make it, only to steal my Pekin hens eggs, which she has been on for about 3 weeks. That's a long time for a bird that's not supposed to be maternal! So there are always exceptions to the rule!

My girl comes off the nest a time or two throughout the day, swims for a few, forages, makes a horrendously loud, joyous quack the whole time and then goes back to her nest. And I have NO doubt she will go back every time. So I think your hen sounds like she's doing about the same thing.

Stay positive, sounds like she's doing her job!

 

[tbitt]

How do you know when a Pekin is broody for real?

I have 4 Pekin ducks, 2 females... all the same age. The smaller of the two has made a nest, sits it off and on. I thought she was going to actually sit it and try to hatch them because she sat on it for several hours on Saturday and Sunday....she even hissed

at me when I went to gather the new egg up from the nest. I thought she had left it already..... NOPE...I was wrong!

I am not looking to let her hatch them out, but if I want to keep Pekins around I will need some hatched at some point. It would be nice to know if she might be a good candidate to make me some babies in the future