I have 3 female pekin ducks and 1 male. The three ladies have all been laying eggs for many weeks, but will only sit at night. They are also using the same nest and up to 25 eggs will be clumped together, but since there are so many a lot will start breaking.
We have another nesting box, but they won't use it. My other main problem is that the girls have gone through multiple clusters and still won't sit on them all day like they should. We let the ducks out each morning to swim in the creek, but whoever's on the nest in the morning gets right up to go swim with the others. Should we keep them locked up all day? We've tried to let half out and keep half in, but the ones inside just call and call for the others.
I read that you shouldn't mess with the eggs too much, but with so many eggs being laid it's hard to keep track of which ones are old, so I began dating the eggs as well as widening the nest so the eggs wouldn't break as easily. I have left things alone as well, but after a while I'll go out and smell rotten eggs and realize that there are many broken and rotting in their nest.
I'm just out of options and don't know what else to do. I would incubate their eggs, but I want the mothers to take care of the babies when they hatch and I don't know if they will if they didn't have them with them. Please let me know anything that might help!
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
It really sounds to me that this is a mess and you really should try and separate the females when they are laying the eggs. You can move the male around so they can fertilize the eggs in the nest. I would try and just get rid of the eggs that are there right now and try and start over again. Split the pen up into different sections and give each one of the females a nesting box. I think allowing them to go swimming is good but when done you should put them back on their own side of the pen and then they can sit on their own nest.
Pekin ducks are not known for their mothering instincts, it's too much fun to go play in the water for the day instead of sitting on a boring nest of eggs. If you want baby ducklings you are better off dropping them into an incubator. Otherwise, just pick up the eggs daily and enjoy you Pekin's antics.
This does sound like it is a little crowded. It would be great if each female had there own space. This will take care of the stress of of them sharing the same nest.
Are you in the US? Some home extension offices suggest humans incubate the eggs and then have a process to introduce the ducklings to the moms later vi would get guidance from them based on you're location and situation. Post back what you learn! pickyourown.org/
Here is a finder.
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
