I have a question about duck eggs.

[SunAngel]

I read on here somewhere that ducks can lay up to 30 eggs before they start sitting on them. How do you know if they will eventually sit on them or are just laying them in the same place?

I now have 3 duck nests, one has 26 eggs, one has 17 eggs and the other has 9 eggs. I have yet to see a duck sit on any of the nests, except to lay their daily eggs. How long do I let them keep laying? I don't want to take the eggs away if there is a chance they will sit on them, specially if it takes them so long to gather enough to hatch. But I also don't want 50+ rotten/rotting eggs exploding in my duck houses.

From what I can tell, they are laying the eggs and then putting a bit of hay over top of them, before leaving the nest.

I am not having the best hatch rates with chicken eggs yet, don't think I am ready to try hatching duck eggs. I would love to get some Blue and Black Swedish ducklings to sell though.

 

[saladin]

I've never had any luck with Blue Sweds hatching their own eggs. Every year I let them set and every year I throw the eggs away eventually. They tend to be good setters and will set 20+ eggs but I never get any hatched that way.

On the other hand, when the Muscovies set the eggs be they theirs or the Blue Sweds then I get plenty of ducklings.

I've had Blue Sweds for near a decade now.

 

[SunAngel]

Well hmmmm. If I could even witness one of them sitting on the eggs, I could swap out some of the eggs from the other 2 nests maybe. The Swedes have 2 of the nests in their house and my Muscovy has 1 in hers.

I might have to just swipe some of the eggs from each nest next time my bator is empty and give hatching a try. I would at least like to see if my Swedish eggs are fertile.

 

[jvls1942]

I would take some of the eggs and put them into the bator.. then I would let the ducks take their course.. to me it sounds like they are preparing rather than just laying.. just by the fact that they cover them..

and muscovys seem to be pretty good hatchers.. depending on what kind of duck you want to hatch the most,, give that kind of eggs to the muscovy..

 

[SunAngel]

I really want the Swedes to hatch. Both for me and to sell.

The Muscovy is paired with a Magpie and they might have cute babies, but not ones that I could really sell or add to my breeding flock.

I will keep an eye on them and maybe swipe a few eggs next week for the bator.

Thanks for the suggestions

 

[jvls1942]

Quote:
your muscovy and magpie babies will not be able to breed anyhow because they would be "mules" if I am to believe what I have learned..

 

[SunAngel]

I wouldn't want to breed their babies anyways, but might keep one if they turned out cute and friendly. I also heard that about Muscovy/other breed offspring.

The only ones I am concentrating on breeding/hatching are the Swedish. I have 2 blue females, a black female and a black drake. I just need to get them to hatch all the eggs they have laid.