White crested ducks laying on eggs

[robngucci]

I live in florida . I have two female drakes and two males. Both females laid eggs about three weeks ago and the one female has been laying on her eggs for the three weeks. How long does it usually take ?

 

[Pyxis]

Duck eggs take four weeks to hatch Be warned though that if your males are crested as well, at least 25% of the ducklings are likely to die in the shell. Cresting is a lethal gene, and if a duckling gets two copies, it dies before it hatches.

By the way, I think you meant to say you have two females and two drakes. Drakes are the males.

 

[robngucci]

Ive read that, that's why I'm wondering if i can do anything to help her. How do i know if they are ready?

 

[Pyxis]

Ive read that, that's why I'm wondering if i can do anything to help her. How do i know if they are ready?

Ready to hatch? They'll hatch on their own at 28 days. Momma duck will likely help if they need it. There's nothing you can do to help them as far as the crested gene goes. They'll simply die; they cannot live with two copies of it.

 

[robngucci]

Thank you. I guess ill just have to wait and see. Has anyone had a domestic crested have babies on their own??8

 

[Pyxis]

Thank you. I guess ill just have to wait and see. Has anyone had a domestic crested have babies on their own??8

They'll hatch on their own. If they have only one copy of the crest, they won't die and they'll hatch. They could still have the neurological issues that crested ducks are prone to, but one copy of the gene is not immediately lethal. So what you can expect, if you have crossed two crested ducks, is for 25% to hatch with no crest, 50% to hatch with a crest, and 25% to not hatch at all because they received two copies of the gene and died.