What to do about a Worried duck?

[wildpeas]

Our daily routine is let the ducks out of their house, give them their breakfast bowl, pick up the eggs, clean the dinner bowl, fill the big pool, clean their house. The last few days Lizzie (kc) has been going back into the duck house and looking for the eggs. She does it over and over. She has only just started laying. She will eventually go about her business but still go back in the house every now and then and look in the nest boxes.

Should I get her a fake egg? Will it reassure her? Make her broody? We are really starting to feel guilty for taking the eggs. The other ducks dont care.

 

[Amiga]

Perhaps you might celebrate that Lizzie is showing signs of being a potential broody.

Many people don't like to let their ducks brood, but some of us love it. In our flock, there is no drake, so there is no risk of a population explosion. I let broodies sit. Most of the time, they lose the muse after a few days. Not Fünfie. She has been broody for probably five weeks now. The previous two summers, 30 days and she was done. This summer, she is hanging in there for some reason. Thinking about it, she is slowly breaking the broody, as she has been spending all day with the flock and just sitting at night for the last three days. So she is winding down. Then I expect her to molt and rest for several weeks before laying again.

I have used wooden eggs, or just decided to devote two or three eggs that I mark with a penciled X to let her sit on, knowing those will be composted eventually. Then I take any new eggs out.

 

[wildpeas]

But will they still lay eggs if they are broody? I have a very small flock and use every egg they give me.

 

[Amiga]

Broodies stop laying after a number of days, depending on the duck.

I have a theory that if they do not take a break, they will run themselves and their egg laying abilities down.

I had a bunch of soft eggs one autumn, no matter now much calcium supplement and vitamins and layer feed I gave the ducks, and it was only after a couple of months off that eggs had good hard shells and ducks looked their best. Before, the ducks were on the thin side, and feathers had thinned a little.

Maybe you can find another duck, a layer, to add to the flock.