social

Pekin Ducks Not Sitting on Eggs?

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.

Advertisement

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!

 

Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 105 Posts
September 11, 20200 found this helpful
Best Answer

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.

Advertisement

Normally mother nature has a way of handling all of this but right now it is a mess and the birds have no idea who should sit on the nest and who should not. Putting them in their own section of the cage with a nesting box should cure this problem. Do this for a bit and maybe later on you can move them all back together if you see things are going well.

 
September 14, 20200 found this helpful
Best Answer

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.

 

Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 140 Posts
September 13, 20200 found this helpful

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.

Advertisement

Then nature will take care of the rest! They will care for there own better.

 

Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 196 Feedbacks
September 16, 20200 found this helpful

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/countyextensionagentoffices.htm

Here is a finder.

 

Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!

 
In This Page
Categories
Pets DucksSeptember 11, 2020
Pages
More
🌻
Gardening
🐰
Easter Ideas!
🍀
St. Patrick's Ideas!
Facebook
Pinterest
YouTube
Instagram
Categories
Better LivingBudget & FinanceBusiness and LegalComputersConsumer AdviceCoronavirusCraftsEducationEntertainmentFood and RecipesHealth & BeautyHolidays and PartiesHome and GardenMake Your OwnOrganizingParentingPetsPhotosTravel and RecreationWeddings
Published by ThriftyFun.
Desktop Page | View Mobile
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Contact Us
Generated 2024-02-26 08:37:03 in 1 secs. ⛅️️
© 1997-2024 by Cumuli, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
https://www.thriftyfun.com/Pekin-Ducks-Not-Sitting-on-Eggs.html