[Wood]

Hi all, mummy duck sat on about 10 eggs for about 2 weeks now, I'm thinking leave it to mother nature for about 30 days. Then the exciting bit... If they do hatch what do I feed them, what water will they need for bathing??


Look forward to your help

[HesterF]

Candle them! I'm a duck virgin too and am trying to hatch my first lot. I had a broody hen sat on the first lot of seven eggs for a week and all were infertile. Switched them out and put eight new ones in and only four of those have turned out to be fertlie. I guess it's harder with a sitting duck - the broody hens seem to be so dopey, you can just pick them off and they're not fussed about your fiddling about with their eggs whereas a duck is more likely to abandon, I think. Maybe you could just wait until she's left natually for a break and then check them. Also good to remove the infertile eggs in case they explode over the rest at some point. Also got my first batch of goose eggs in the incubator and I think all of those are infertlie too - the breeder of my geese reckons it can take a bit of decent spring before the gander's sperm gets going so maybe that was true of the drake too.

As for what to feed them, I'm going to get some specialist starter crumbs for waterfowl. Just don't use chick crumbs which are medicated with anti-coccidiostats (or something). There have been other posts on here about what to feed them too.

Water, I'm not so sure. Mine will be (hopefully) with a hen so they won't be waterproof until they work out their own preen gland which takes a few weeks. I think if you've got a mummy duck taking care of them, they should be OK with swimming water after a couple of days but I'm sure others on here know more about that.

Good luck!

[MAK]

Congratulations Wood. nice small clutch to start with but i think you may need to read up on ducklings. No water bath or they will drown - a seed tray is enough to wet their beaks.  Food - some use chick crumb or mild and bread but ours ate adult food within the week. Hope they will have a warm home and mum will look after them. I would not stress the mum by checking the eggs. If they are fertile then great if not she will get rid of them when she knows.

[mentalmilly]

I have a muscovy sitting on eggs and l am letting her get on with it in the hope she knows what she is doing.  Not done this before myself.  Useful to know not to feed the chick crumbs without the medication in.  Do you think its harmful to feed the other chick crumbs?  Would magpies swoop and get the ducklings when they are just hatched and small?  Don't know whether to net over the run they are going to be in.

[MAK]

It's our third year of keeping Muscovey ducks. The mums just get on with it and if I had not left their pond un covered we would have a 100% survival. Sorry to say we have never given them any medication or suppliments. Chick crumb was a waste of time as they just take a sip of water at first then moved on to mums food.They like snails and grasshoppers though. It was 21 here of Friday but I am still not sure if we should let the ducks cover the eggs that they are dropping every day. The weather is so unpredicatable.

[goosepimple]

Don't fuss about the nests and eggs, just leave them to it.  Some ducks will take up to 35 days to hatch, so just when you're getting edgy and thinking right that's it they're all duds, then out they pop, so just leave them to get on with it.
 
We put mum and ducklings in a coop for the first couple of weeks or so or crows, herons, whatever can get them easily as they are just little scraps at that age - mums tend to haul them around a bit too and they either can't keep up or get lost, ducks can't count remember - it's one, two, more than two, that's it, 2 eyes, 2 wings, what's the point in counting more than 2. 
 
Don't feed chick crumbs, must be ducklings crumbs or you can kill them.
 
We use brown bread squished in milk which they love, bulk and protein. 
 
Take lots of photos for us here on TAS 

[AndrewMBaines]

We've hatched ducks from both incubator and 'with duck'. Much more successful when the duck has just been left to do it herself.
I wouldn't candle them - duck don't seem to be as persistent with their eggs as chickens. If they're not fertile, so be it, she'll come off eventually!

I second the comment about only using duck crumb - don't feed them chicken food. We always have to order it, as it's not normally stocked around here.

If you have problems with crows or raptors, keep them in a run until they're too big to be carried off.

If you do separate them from their mother for safety, keep them under a heat lamp when it's cold. Make sure you have a dark heat bulb.

[Wood]

Thanks for all your advice.


Think we will leave her to do her job!! Just hope this cold weather hasn't spoilt it for her?


Will let you know how she goes


Thanks
X

[MAK]

Yep - we will start to leave the eggs from tomorrow onwards as we had 21 degrees and mild days since last Friday.
good luck with yours Wood - let us know how they got on please.