will she sit on them and hatch them?

[sunflowerlady]

Hi guys, I have very very exciting news!!!! My DH just went out to pen up our ducks for the night and he found a nest in the corner of the shed!!!!!!! Well I have Muscovy ducks and I have a mallard and a rouen. All of which have males that have been mating my girls!!! So my question is do you guys think she will hatch them out? I have no idea which duck they are from. And I think its also important to say that this is their first year laying.
Oh I'm so excited!!!! I will be looking all over now for any more nests

 

[sourland]

The muscovy and mallard will definately go broody. I'm not sure about the rouen, but as a kid (long time ago)

I had rouen hens that would set and raise ducklings. You will hatch ducklings this year.

 

[sunflowerlady]

Yay!!!!! So I should probably leave them in the nest you think? The temps here in Maine are still cold at night. I'm confused because I guess I didn't realize they didn't go broody til they have a good amount of eggs in the nest. So does that mean they lay the egg each day but don't actually sit on them all day until the nest has a lot of eggs? I just don't know how long I should keep the eggs in the nest.

 

[animalsRawesome]

Yay!!!!! So I should probably leave them in the nest you think? The temps here in Maine are still cold at night. I'm confused because I guess I didn't realize they didn't go broody til they have a good amount of eggs in the nest. So does that mean they lay the egg each day but don't actually sit on them all day until the nest has a lot of eggs? I just don't know how long I should keep the eggs in the nest.

Correct! Congrats BTW !!! But I don't believe just because they are laying in a nest that they will go broody...

 

[sourland]

When temps were dropping way below freezing what I used to do was mark the early eggs (2 or 3) as nest eggs and then remove any subsequent eggs as they were laid. I would store them in our cellar (approx 60 degrees) turning them daily. Once the hen became broody I would discard the nest eggs and return the 'good' eggs to the nest. If temps at the nest site are not dropping below freezing the eggs will be fine in the nest.

 

[sunflowerlady]

When temps were dropping way below freezing what I used to do was mark the early eggs (2 or 3) as nest eggs and then remove any subsequent eggs as they were laid.  I would store them in our cellar (approx 60 degrees) turning them daily.  Once the hen became broody I would discard the nest eggs and return the 'good' eggs to the nest.  If temps at the nest site are not dropping below freezing the eggs will be fine in the nest.

That's a great idea! Thank you.

 

[sunflowerlady]

If I'm touching the eggs to mark them that wont scare her from coming back to her nest will it? Or should I wear gloves so my scent isn't all over her nest and eggs?

 

[sourland]

In my experience as long as the nest was not disrupted my interference did not bother the hen at all. The sense of smell in poultry (to the best of my knowledge) is not very well developed.

 

[Ilovemyduckies]

It's very likely to be more than one ducks nest. If so, any of them would be likely to go broody and lay on them. I had two of my ducks lay in the same nest, and eventually one started laying on it (the breed that was less likely to go broody). She was such a good mommy, I love her

 

[sunflowerlady]

It's very likely to be more than one ducks nest. If so, any of them would be likely to go broody and lay on them. I had two of my ducks lay in the same nest, and eventually one started laying on it (the breed that was less likely to go broody). She was such a good mommy, I love her

Well we have some new news! DH went out to check this evening and he told me there was a duck sitting on them! It just happens to be one of the two that I don't quite know what breed they are. I was trying to upload a picture so maybe I could get opinions as to what they were. They are black with beautiful green/blue sheen on their wings and gorgeous purple sheen on their heads.
So anyhow I know that at least someone is sitting on them.

https://picasaweb.google.com/m/view...01784/5713197986871579825/5713199625583903458

This is the copy of the URL where I saved the pic