When Muscovy Hen goes Broody is that the LAST egg for the clutch?

[Egzermalda]

Momma duck (that's her name, she came to me with 3 babies) has been laying about 1-2 weeks and I have been taking her eggs because it has still been well below freezing every night and some days. Today she went broody and is sitting. She can't have more than 1 egg under her because I have been taking them daily. I had 5 eggs in the house I hadn't eaten yet so I put them next to her and checked 10 minutes later and she had taken those 5 and tucked them under her. So now she has 6 eggs. QUESTION: Now that she has gone broody will she stop laying? Or could she lay more eggs over the next few days? Is there any chance she will add another egg or several over the next few days now that she is sitting? If I hadn't given her the 5 eggs I had saved would she just sit on one? I plan to add a few chicken eggs in 10-14 days and will pull those chicks as they hatch. And maybe Cayuga eggs if I get any soon. Papa is most likely my Silver Pied drake, but could also be Chocolate or White.

 

[nuthatched]

She'll stop laying as she broods, it important to keep other girls from laying eggs there if you have any. She would just sit on the one.

 

[Egzermalda]

She'll stop laying as she broods, it important to keep other girls from laying eggs there if you have any. She would just sit on the one.

None of the other Muscovy are laying right now and she is in a good defendable spot inside a double sided rabbit hutch where she has to go through a maze to get in and out and the nest is under a flipped down hatch. But I guess I am wondering if going broody is a process that happens gradually over several days, or is like a switch? Now she is broody, will she will not lay any more eggs? Or might she continue to lay for a few more days. Also, what if she does not stay on the nest tonight? Those eggs will definitely freeze solid if she is not on them, and I assume that means the eggs would no longer be viable? This is why I have been collecting them and bringing them in. I do have a chicken that was laying in the same nest, but the Muscovy hen is having none of that today. Poor Splash (the chicken) has to find another spot.

 

[nuthatched]

adually over several days, or is like a switch? Now she is broody, will she will not lay any more eggs? Or might she continue to lay for a few more days. Also, what if she does not stay on the nest tonight?

It depends on the bird, sometimes it gradual, sometimes a switch. She shouldn't lay anymore right now but it depends if she goes seriously broody.
She's only been broody for a day? I'd wait to see if she stats before adding more eggs.

 

[Egzermalda]

It depends on the bird, sometimes it gradual, sometimes a switch. She shouldn't lay anymore right now but it depends if she goes seriously broody.
She's only been broody for a day? I'd wait to see if she stats before adding more eggs.

Yes, this is the first day she is staying on the nest. But she seems determined. She is hissing at me, and ran off poor Splash and readily took the 5 eggs I offered, Thanks for the input! Just wondering if 6 is the MAX I can expect from this clutch or if she could add more? I'm sure glad I had those 5 to give back to her, that I kept safe from freezing. I would hate for her to sit for 35 days for a single egg.

 

[nuthatched]

Yes, this is the first day she is staying on the nest. But she seems determined. She is hissing at me, and ran off poor Splash and readily took the 5 eggs I offered, Thanks for the input! Just wondering if 6 is the MAX I can expect from this clutch or if she could add more? I'm sure glad I had those 5 to give back to her, that I kept safe from freezing. I would hate for her to sit for 35 days for a single egg.

No, she's not likely to add more. You can mark the eggs slightly with a marker do you can tell which the one it is in the unlikely event she lays.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Mine would go semi-broody, then on lockdown, lol. Wouldn't budge for anything, had to bring them their dinner in bed!

 

[Egzermalda]

Update: Momma got off the nest yesterday afternoon after sitting all morning. We had a storm moving in, 60MPH winds and below freezing and snow. So I brought all the eggs in for the night. She laid another egg in the same nest this morning, but is not sitting in there. So... just as well. We are predicted to continue winter weather for at least another 2 weeks. AND...I found a second Muscovy egg in a different location this morning, so now I have 2 of my 5 Muscovy Duck hens laying. I am going to start dating and labeling all the eggs so I will know in the future which ones would be best to add in to a clutch.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Check the eggs that she'd been sitting so they haven't started developing. At this stage, that could be disastrous for them.

 

[Egzermalda]

Thanks. I will. But she was only on them for ~3-4 hours in cold weather and they started from room temp (except the one she had just laid that morning). At this point I will probably eat them as the weather forecast is for continued winter for the foreseeable future (10+ days). I really don't WANT anyone sitting quite yet. Although in 35 days I am going to be DIEING for babies!