A mallard laid 10 eggs in my yard. She has been sitting on them for almost a month, leaving a short period of time in the morning and again early evening. This morning, 1 of the eggs was approximately 6 feet away from the nest. We have Muscovy ducks in the neighborhood that frequent our yard, including mother, father, and 3 ducklings.
Today they have been approaching the nest, at times laying within 3 feet, while mother mallard is there. She doesn't run them away. I have read Muscovy females are very motherly. Why would they be so close now? Would they remove the eggs when mother mallard is away, or is mother removing the egg if she knows it is not viable?
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
There is a pre-incubation period: female ducks can lay their eggs for up to 10 days before incubation begins. So, a Mallard duck will need up to 40 days to hatch successfully (incubation period 23-30 days + pre-incubation period 10 days). A duck will unknowingly continue to sit on the eggs until she is convinced that they are not going to hatch, often well beyond the average incubation days.
Migratory birds are protected. You are not allowed to remove the migratory duck eggs for any reason. Contact your local wildlife organization. farmhouseguide.com/
That egg will not hatch. I would leave it alone.
There is no way to be sure of how this egg igot out of the nest but I would recommend leaving it alone for a day or so and then remove it.
Since your nesting duck has visitors you may want to join one of the nesting duck forums and see if they can help you.
Ducks will often roll rotten eggs out of their nest to keep them from bursting inside the nest. There's more info here:
poultryparade.com/
farmhouseguide.com/
Muscovy ducks are not usually predators that may eat the eggs and destroy the nest. Ducks know what they're doing, leave the nests alone. I think that egg is infertile.
The incubation period of a mallard duck lasts 23-30 days.
www.allaboutbirds.org/
Eggs that are less than 9 days old have a microscopic embryo that cannot maintain its temperature and requires constant warmth. Eggs cannot survive for more than 2 to 3 hours in extreme cold without external warmth from the duck. Perhaps the egg is not viable. I would not advise you to approach the nest and lay the egg back.
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
