It turns out that wishing for a new baby is contagious on the homestead! Our runner duck Ramona has caught baby-fever and wants to hatch her own little ducklings. Poor girl is going to be very disappointed when she patiently waits and the stork doesn’t arrive…
Typically, I peek my head out the window throughout the day to check on the ducks and chickens, whose coops are within view. I have noticed that Ramona (pictured below in foreground) has been absent from the pool parties and daytime naps in the run, but I thought maybe she was just busy laying eggs. Turns out that she has been busy keeping a little clutch of eggs warm inside the duck house.
For those of you less familiar with the workings of farm animals, ducks and chickens will lay eggs regularly but they are unfertilized eggs (sort of like women having a menstrual cycle with their unfertilized eggs). You need a drake to get fertilized duck eggs and a rooster to get fertilized chicken eggs. Since we don’t want baby birds – just eggs for eating – we only have girl ducks and chickens.
When chickens and ducks want to hatch eggs, it’s referred to as going “broody”. They will sit on the eggs all day and night hoping to hatch them. Sometimes you have to physically move the bird and keep her from getting back on the eggs.
Ramona seems to be only halfheartedly trying to make babies. She leaves the duck house when I come outside and open the door. My strategy to break her of the broodiness is distraction – lots of opportunities to free-range, swim in a fresh pool party, and eating treats. I’m also hoping that collecting the eggs everyday will help. Being a blissed out new momma, I certainly can’t blame the girl for her wishful thinking.
My 2 hen Muscovy have been sitting on eggs for month now. As soon as I put them with the drake the started nesting. Should I test them to see if they are fertile? And how do I do this?
Hi Elaine – I would try to “candle” the egg to see if they are growing. You can find some simple instructions here: https://www.backyardchickencoops.com.au/blogs/learning-centre/incubation-how-to-tell-if-an-egg-is-fertile-or-infertile
I have had my duck for almost 3 years now we do have a Male duck here she has tryed to get baby ducks every year with no luck she has been on her nest for a little over a month now with no luck its stressing her out badly my question is should I take the eggs away and let her get back to her normal life will this stress her out more?
If the eggs are not fertile, I would take them away. I typically do that when my hens are broody – we don’t have a rooster so I 100% know their eggs are not fertile. I have heard of people sneaking fertilized eggs under a broody bird, so they can end up getting babies. You could try that if you’re not sure you want to force her off being broody.
My female duck is laying eggs now.I have a drack as well when will I know not to take her eggs? This my first time duck keeper.It is Feburary now.
Hello Vickie! About two weeks after introducing the drake, you could start getting fertilized eggs. Hope that helps.
Hi, my duck is laying empty eggs? The shell is fine, just nothing in them? Thanks 😊
Claire, that’s so odd! I have not heard of that before, so I can’t offer much help.
Male and female pekin ducks the female has now laid 24 eggs. First 10 are empty the rest have yolks not any baby ducks.
She lays multiple places but refuses to lay on them.
Any idess?
How frustrating Twila! I don’t have good tips on getting your duck to sit on her eggs. Mine always laid them all over the place too, but we just were collecting for egg eating – not breeding. Good luck to you!
Will allowing a duck to sit on unfertilized eggs (we have no drake) cause a problem for her? I haven’t yet taken them away from her so as to not stress her but this is the first time I’ve had a duck go broody so I really don’t know what to do.
It shouldn’t cause a problem for her, but I typically collect the eggs underneath even if they are annoyed by me. Eventually they give up and move on.
Thanks, Renee!
I have a female Pekin it is the only duck we have she has been broody for 21 days now and is not laying eggs. will she go broody longer or should I try to break her? she will go in her pool and eat fish and some of her food. I know they et less when it is warm out. so we are not letting her starve. and she is foraging. but we have to coax her out of her house. what should I do let it run its course? we give her calcium too every other day.
I would remove any eggs she is sitting on, to help break her from being broody. Good luck!