When to stop collecting eggs if I want my hen to brood?

[Humanbean68]

Will Muscovy hens start building up a batch of eggs to sit on before they actually start sitting? My laying hen isn’t acting broody at all, but i’ve been leaving the eggs in the nest for the past week to see if she will start. Will they be fertile if my drake has been regularly mounting her, or does she have to be broody to allow the sperm in? I’ve heard that ducks can control that. Not sure if I should collect the eggs until she’s obviously broody or leave them....

 

[SulkyBantam]

Will Muscovy hens start building up a batch of eggs to sit on before they actually start sitting? My laying hen isn’t acting broody at all, but i’ve been leaving the eggs in the nest for the past week to see if she will start. Will they be fertile if my drake has been regularly mounting her, or does she have to be broody to allow the sperm in? I’ve heard that ducks can control that. Not sure if I should collect the eggs until she’s obviously broody or leave them....

I'd collect them or they'll go off. Store them upside down so you can put more under her if she does go broody. How old is she?

 

[SolarDuck]

Muscovy are pretty broody ducks, mine usually lay for a few weeks and I collect the eggs every day, and eventually they just go broody regardless of if I collect the eggs or not.

 

[Humanbean68]

I don’t actually know how old she is, I inherited her 2 years ago and not sure how long she was at her previous home. She’s just started laying again after not laying since she was broody last fall.
I will remove the eggs she has accumulated so far. I guess I can crack one to see if it’s fertile or fertilized.
Which way is upside down?

 

[SulkyBantam]

I don’t actually know how old she is, I inherited her 2 years ago and not sure how long she was at her previous home. She’s just started laying again after not laying since she was broody last fall.
I will remove the eggs she has accumulated so far. I guess I can crack one to see if it’s fertile or fertilized.
Which way is upside down?

pointy end down.

 

[Humanbean68]

Muscovy are pretty broody ducks, mine usually lay for a few weeks and I collect the eggs every day, and eventually they just go broody regardless of if I collect the eggs or not.

Ok, thanks. Sounds like I should keep collecting until she starts acting broody.

 

[Luv Ducks]

I have an eight month old mallard duck. She went missing for a couple of days and when I found her she was sitting on a nest she had made. I left her alone. To make a long story short a week ago she hatched out eleven babies! She was sitting on 19 eggs! I had no idea there were that many under her as I had left her alone. I have raised Muscovies before years ago. I just never bother the hen and let nature take it's course. That works well for me. I am in Ohio, it is very cold in the mornings but all seems to be fine. I have three Mallard hens, one mallard drake, two Rouen hens and I think they all helped deposit eggs in the nest. I am hoping to get some Rouens but can't tell yet if any of them are or not, They all look so much alike and move so fast in the enclosure they are in.

 

[Humanbean68]

I’m glad I decided to leave the eggs in the nest...after a couple of days of acting sorta-kinda broody she committed and is nesting. Checked in he eggs today and at least 7 out of 10 are starting to develop.

 

[Yardmom]

If I plan on letting a Muskovy set I just leave the nest alone. When they have collected what they consider enough they start sitting at night for a few days then settle in for the long haul.

 

[Humanbean68]

If I plan on letting a Muskovy set I just leave the nest alone. When they have collected what they consider enough they start sitting at night for a few days then settle in for the long haul.

That’s exactly what happened. I was just concerned that the eggs were too old but apparently not!