When to take Muscovy egg from mom 😥

[Psychofeatherlover]

We have a Muscovy hen, Mo, and she ended up with only 2 eggs left due to a snake. One has hatched and the other has not. How long should we wait, before taking that egg away? The first one hatched about 2 days ago. All the Muscovies stayed in the run the last 2 nights, like family in the waiting room at the hospital. This morning is the first time the baby was spotted, but she was acting a little different yesterday and the day before. She wouldn't come eat, so I put a little food in with her. Is that normal for Muscovy moms?

 

[Jenbirdee]

@Miss Lydia has muscovies she will know

 

[Miss Lydia]

We have a Muscovy hen, Mo, and she ended up with only 2 eggs left due to a snake. One has hatched and the other has not. How long should we wait, before taking that egg away? The first one hatched about 2 days ago. All the Muscovies stayed in the run the last 2 nights, like family in the waiting room at the hospital. This morning is the first time the baby was spotted, but she was acting a little different yesterday and the day before. She wouldn't come eat, so I put a little food in with her. Is that normal for Muscovy moms?

Have you candled to see if the duckling is alive maybe pipped internally listen to the egg?
My Muscovy will sit on an egg even if the duckling is dead or never started to develop, they are so obsessed with brooding and hatching. So if you aren't seeing any sign of life then take the egg, If your not sure of what you are seeing when you candle take some pictures and we'll try and help. Give mom and duckling food and water inside until you know about the other egg, Mama may not get up and show the duckling food and water until you take the egg or she finally gives up. But since she has a duckling to care for she needs to get up and care for her duckling if this egg isn't any good.

 

[Psychofeatherlover]

Well, a snake got her last egg, which was sadly, it's last meal. When the snake went in her nest, she took her baby and ran with it. We got her in a snake proof, and hopefully everything else proof, small lot with a house. It's like she knew we were trying to help her. Usually she dont like anybody, but she didn't run or flog us. So she is happy and as safe as we can make her and baby for now. I have no doubt that she will be an amazing mom. The Muscovies are such amazing little creatures. Her main man, Mr. Scovy, looks sad and lonely, but I don't know about putting him with her and baby. Any suggestions about letting him be with her? He also has another lady friend that is broody and sitting on about 9 eggs. They should be hatching any time now. If we put Mr. Scovy with Mo and their one baby, what happens with daisy and her 9 eggs? Will he want to be with her too? Omg their love lives and feelings are like a soap opera. As the Muscovy broods(as the world turns). . Muscovies of our lives(days of our lives). All my Muscovies(all my children). One Muscovy to nest.(one life to live). The Muscovy and the hen. (The bold and the beautiful). my whole life is Muscovy, duck, and chicken related. I love them they r awesome, ornery, and spoiled, but awesome.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank goodness you saved mama and duckling. Can dad see mama if so I think that should be the best set up. Some drakes will kill ducklings so it’s best not to have them together.

 

[jessalox3]

i’m new here and not sure how to make my own post. i live in a condo association where we have several muscovy ducks. one momma made a nest in our shed in our front yard (door blew off during hurricane ian). She laid the eggs 2.5 months ago now, back in the last week of may/first week of June. none of the eggs have hatched, and i have a feeling they are all dead, since it’s been way over normal hatch time. Momma sits in the shed all day, and won’t leave. I feel horrible and can’t find advice anywhere. Is it safe to take the eggs from her? Do i step in and intervene, or let nature do its thing? It’s so hot here in florida and i feel bad that momma sits in there all day with no sign on her babies hatching.. It’s been well over 2 month, and i need help.

 

[Miss Lydia]

If it’s been that long take the eggs and candle but it doesn’t sound like any could be viable not after 2 months. You’ll need to remove all her nesting material and place something over where she has been brooding. I have Muscovy and I will say they don’t snap out of it over night it takes time for those hormones to calm down. Be careful when handling if any are rotten they may explode.

 

[jessalox3]

If it’s been that long take the eggs and candle but it doesn’t sound like any could be viable not after 2 months. You’ll need to remove all her nesting material and place something over where she has been brooding. I have Muscovy and I will say they don’t snap out of it over night it takes time for those hormones to calm down. Be careful when handling if any are rotten they may explode.

thank you for replying so quickly! i don’t know much about the ducks, but i care for them & feel bad for her. i didn’t want to intervene if it was the wrong thing to do, but i just can’t stand to see her sit and wait in that shed all day either. is it okay to remove all of the eggs at once? I will candle first, but it’s definitely been 2+ months now. she only has 3 eggs in there i believe. there were about 11 to start back in June, but i have no idea where the rest went.. i hope she is okay after this and returns to her normal self eventually. thanks again!

 

[Miss Lydia]

She'll get over it it just takes time. Yes take them all and block it so she can't go back in the nesting area even after you remove the nesting material. If you feed her try luring her outside and while she is eating take care of it all. She needs to start taking care of herself.. Here is a picture of my Muscovy Dolly who I took her out of her nest and put bales of shaving on top and look what she did. lol she did finally get over being broody.

 

[newbie ducks]

im new here, but I do not have a clue about this situation I have wild Muscovy ducks around here and 1 made a nest in the corner flower mulch area by my house & its close to my front door. it's January and im in north florida & the temps here are getting colder outside especially at night we be going down into the 20 & 30 soon and she drop 1 egg, left it pretty much all day i picked it up put it in a rig up incubator been turning it & cleaned it. I left her some pee's & oats & water outside by her nest. I went outside the next morning day 2 & she drop another egg, but that one didn't make it had a crack in it & smelled took it away and now its the 3rd day morning and & her & the rest of the family came here and it looked like they were all talking to her and I talked to her and I gave her back her 1st egg that i been taking care of and hoping she want to take the hint to take care of her eggs she seemed happy to see it told her she needs to be a good mama & take care of her baby. and just she drop her 3rd egg & sat on it for about 1/2 hour and left again. I picked it up put that one in the incubator. can I put a big box over her nest with the front cut out to give her a privacy room & help protect the nest from the cold? and is it good to pick up the eggs since its so cold outside in the daytime & colder at night & put them in the incubator all day & night and give them back to her when she comes back in the mornings? looks like she wants me to help her take care of them until she comes back the next morning.