Help

[Allister]

One of my adult ducks is sitting on two eggs. I have four ducks and one drake. I am unsure of what to do. What should I do if other eggs are layed by the other ducks. In the last two weeks the eggs have been layed together in a plastic dog kennel and in depressions in the ground which were nests. I just collected them and brought them home. If the others lay more eggs now Do I add these eggs to the nest? or take them away? will the sitting duck accept them?
I would love to let the duck raise some ducklings.
When feeding in the morning I have to pass very close to the sitting duck and I thought she was just laying but she has been on the nest all day.
I am sure ducks have been hacking eggs without our help but I have not got a clue!
I have had ther ducks for two months and have hatched 7duckings now 6 weeks old and doing well but that's my all my experience.
The main food I give the adults is layers pellets with lettuce and greens not spinach.
I was worried when I was hatching eggs in the incubator but I am paranoid about a natural birth!!!
Help
Allister
Sorry this should have been in incubation and hatching perhaps it could be moved.
Allister

 

[MalcolmP]

Hi Allister,
sorry cant help with specific duck info however, till a duck person comes along !, I will recount my experiences with similar situation with LF and bantams :

The sitter will accept donor eggs from pen mates.
This will continue for many days.
It will result in a spread of hatch times.
About 3 (maybe 4) days after the first hatchling the sitter will give up and spend all her time tending to those chicks already hatched, so the later eggs will go to waste.

What I have done in the past, what I suggest you do, is to mark those two eggs, leave them with her, and to then collect each morning(midday) for the following several days any newlaid donated eggs from under her.
Store them in a cool place turning each day.
When you have collected a suitable number (what size/type duck is she ?) [and if she has tolerated this interference*] then start up your incubator and set those eggs for a few hours to warm them up** and wait for evening/night time.
*If you think she may not tolerate this then you will have to let nature take its course, or maybe next time she will be more used to you interfering !

In the evening remove the 2 original eggs, substitute 2, 3, or if you're feeling lucky 4 of your warmed eggs. If she doesnt take fright then in the early hours (or the following day) do same again with the rest of the warmed eggs. This way you/she will have a group of eggs with the same or similar incubation times.

Discard the two original eggs, or put them in your incubator.
** Best not to put cold eggs under her alongside her warm eggs, greater chance of rejection

 

[dorsetduckowner]

Hiya! How exciting! Ducks are usually good mums. Try and keep her separate if you can or the others may trample over her eggs. Out whatever eggs in there you like, she will accept them. As long as she has not started incubating them. If she has then don't give her anymore. Make sure she can have access to food and water once a day when she comes off and beware for the broody poo. She will hold it in all day and then explode when she comes off the nest. When they hatch just offer them unmediated starter crumb for two weeks, then growers pellets. She should take care of them very well
Zo

 

[Allister]

Hi Malcolm
Thanks for you reply. My incubator is in use on day 11 with 10 call duck eggs ( they look fertile).
It gets worse !!! another duck is sharing the nest and there a re now 6 eggs in the nest with two mums!

My main worry now is that the nest is not protected from above see the pond view below

I will have to put bird netting above and over the nest site to stop Magpies getting to the eggs ( Why cant they use the dog kennel !!!)
Is it normal to have a shared nest? both ducks seem happy the others just do their own thing.
If the hatch is successful ( I would really love that )do I have to separate the mother and ducklings and put them in an area away from the drake? ( which I can do)
Zo
Thanks for you imput How do I know when incubation has started ( its easier with the machine !!)
Really interesting forum
Allister

 

[dorsetduckowner]

You could put netting over the top, but mums are pretty good at protecting the eggs

Good idea to separate from the drake until they are a few weeks old.

Very normal to share nest, I had three on one nest before!

Incubation starts when they line the nest with down and stay on it for 24 hours a day only coming off for a quick break of about 20-30 minutes once a day.

Very exciting!!!

zo
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