mallard ducks

[eventmerlin]

Ok so my two mallard hens laid thier nests about 25 feet from my house near the stream that runs through our property. One duck only has one leg that works. They laid on thier nests for at least 3.5 weeks. Last night I go out to check them and one hen is gone and so is all evidence of the 15 eggs (not a shell or a feather). Then I go out today and the other hen is gone and there is not a shell or a feather left of the eggs!!!

Do mallard hens eat the remnants of the eggs when the chicks hatch? Do you think the hens took the chicks and left????? They have NEVER left before! The only thing I can think of is a human came and took them.....no one knew though where the nests were....

 

[haleyh-LHP]

Sounds like something got them... being that they were next to the stream, thats the local watering hole for all the wildlife. Something probably sniffed them out and ended up having lunch.

Cross your fingers that they hatched and the hens led them off. Hope you find them!

 

[eventmerlin]

Do ducks eat the remnants of hatched eggs though?

 

[La Roux]

All birds will eat egg shells to a certain extent for exra calcium. I am sure they just hatched their kiddos and led them off downstream

. We once found a mallard nest with only an eggshell left, and she had hatched 3 babies!

 

[4-H chicken mom]

Predators would have left some evidence behind. It sounds like a two-legged predator.

 

[Friend2Fowl]

Quote:
I agree 100%. I lost quite a few broody birds last year to predators. Some were just the hens missing, others it was eggs and all. It depends on what type of predator takes them, some will carry them off before eating them, so there wouldn't be any evidence.

 

[afeatherfan]

I keep have a heart trap's around my chicken house. If you have one of those try it and you my very well find what happen to your duck's.