Help, why isnt my duck sitting on her eggs?

[Kabcock]

I have an approximately 2 year old Pekin/Rouen female. We have always pulled her eggs. This year, we decided to let her try to hatch some ducklings. This is new for all of us so we are learning together!
We have just her and one male. Her nest is beautiful in a nesting box in their enclosure with now 12 eggs. I never see her sitting. She just lays and goes about her day, frolicking in the pond and eating.
How do I know when to call it? How long can her eggs be in a nest with no incubation?

 

[kristinhennifer]

If she’s not broody she will not sit on eggs

 

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

I have an approximately 2 year old Pekin/Rouen female. We have always pulled her eggs. This year, we decided to let her try to hatch some ducklings. This is new for all of us so we are learning together!
We have just her and one male. Her nest is beautiful in a nesting box in their enclosure with now 12 eggs. I never see her sitting. She just lays and goes about her day, frolicking in the pond and eating.
How do I know when to call it? How long can her eggs be in a nest with no incubation?

you could get an incubator.

 

[sourland]

Has she ever gone broody before? Not all ducks will set and incubate eggs.

 

[Kabcock]

If she’s not broody she will not sit on eggs

How do I know if she is broody? Will she ever go broody?

 

[Kabcock]

Has she ever gone broody before? Not all ducks will set and incubate eggs.

I feel stupid but how do I know if she is or will go broody?

 

[SilverBirds]

You can't force a hen to go broody. It's possible she'll never go broody, or she may go broody, just not when you want her to.
If she's broody she'll be sitting on the nest day and night. She'll hiss when you get too close to her, and she doesn't leave the nest long.
Eggs can sit for around 2 weeks. After that fertility starts to drop greatly. I would put fake eggs in her nest and collect all the real ones. If she starts sitting consistently on the nest for 3-4 days, you can swap the fake eggs for the real ones.

 

[NatJ]

Eggs can sit for around 2 weeks. After that fertility starts to drop greatly. I would put fake eggs in her nest and collect all the real ones. If she starts sitting consistently on the nest for 3-4 days, you can swap the fake eggs for the real ones.

If you mark each egg with the date it was laid, you will know how old each egg is. Then if she does go broody, you can let her have the freshest ones to hatch, because they have the best chance.

A pencil works well to write the date on eggs. Or even if you don't know what date they were laid, you can mark something on all the eggs she already has, and then you can recognize the new egg each day and write the date on it.

(This works regardless of whether you are leaving the eggs in the nest or collecting them safely in your house.)

 

[Kabcock]

You can't force a hen to go broody. It's possible she'll never go broody, or she may go broody, just not when you want her to.
If she's broody she'll be sitting on the nest day and night. She'll hiss when you get too close to her, and she doesn't leave the nest long.
Eggs can sit for around 2 weeks. After that fertility starts to drop greatly. I would put fake eggs in her nest and collect all the real ones. If she starts sitting consistently on the nest for 3-4 days, you can swap the fake eggs for the real ones.

Thank you! That is very helpful information. I really appreciate it.

 

[Kabcock]

If you mark each egg with the date it was laid, you will know how old each egg is. Then if she does go broody, you can let her have the freshest ones to hatch, because they have the best chance.

A pencil works well to write the date on eggs. Or even if you don't know what date they were laid, you can mark something on all the eggs she already has, and then you can recognize the new egg each day and write the date on it.

(This works regardless of whether you are leaving the eggs in the nest or collecting them safely in your house.)

Thank you!! That's a great idea!!