We have 2 Indian Runner ducks and 1 drake. He's been quite the frisky fellow, and one of the ducks has gone broody. Or at least we think she has. She's on a nest of 16 eggs, but leaves it frequently. This is our first year with ducks (and after 14 years with chickens, I know their habits, but not those of ducks). Is this typical of ducks to leave the nest frequently to eat, drink and play in the mud? Does this extend the incubation period (which is about 28 days with ducks, right?)?

Thanks! : )

-- Andrea Gauland (andreagee@aol.com), March 25, 2002

Answers

I'm not familiar with Runners going broody - none of ours have yet, but I am wondering if she can really cover 16 eggs. You may want to check sometime and make sure that the eggs are getting covered and not at the edge getting chilled.

As for brooding ducks. When our ducks brood they leave the nest about 2x a day to eat/drink but then hurry right back to their eggs.

-- Trisha-MN (coldguinea@netscape.net), March 25, 2002.

She should leave the nest not more than twice a day if she is like mine, and then only for 15-20 minutes to get a quick drink and some feed. They'll run around with their heads tucked back making them look like their necks are about two inches shorter than usual and make a very distinctive quack that is different from normal when they are off the nest, too, and their feathers are generally fluffed up. I think you'll recognize the quack instantly when you hear it and that should tell you. If your duck is still getting off the nest that often, she may not be full broody yet. And yes, it's 28 days.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), March 25, 2002.

Ditto all of the above.

-- snoozy (bunny@northsound.net), March 25, 2002.

When our Pekin brooded, she acted like this for quite awhile, sort of casually sitting, before she really got serious about the brood, and left only a couple times a day. I think it did extend the brood time, as we'd about given up all hope before we started seeing little heads. But she did hatch 10 ducks that time.

-- mary (mlg@mlg.com), March 25, 2002.

Thanks everyone, for sharing your knowledge and experiences. As of this morning, she's quite firmly broody, and is doing as mentioned above (a different quack and kinda hunched into herself). I guess had had her hands full last night, as there were possum tracks in the snow near her house, but no eggs were missing. Her nest is fully formed (and what a thing of beauty -- I'm serious!) and she IS having trouble sitting on 16 eggs, so I took 6 away (the ones that were at the edge of the nest - they were cold; the rest were warm).

Thanks again!

-- Andrea Gauland (andreagee@aol.com), March 26, 2002.

re: the possum -- the ducks are fenced in, but with the snow drifts as high as they got last night, we found where the darned possum just walked over the 3' fence in the night. Other than the fence, they're not locked in at night. They were absolutely miserable when we tried it.

Andrea

-- Andrea Gauland (andreagee@aol.com), March 26, 2002.

Andrea, lock your ducks up at night. I don't know what you mean by "they were miserable when you tried it". All ducks adapt quite readily to being kept safe at night and better worried at first than dead. Runners are notorious for being poor parents so that is wonderful that yours is sitting. Good luck, hope you have some darlin' ducklings soon. LQ

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), March 26, 2002.

I have a question not an answer. I live on a lake in Florida and have two peking ducks. I received them at easter. We have alligators, racoons, panther and so on. At night I put them in a dishwasher box in my screened lanai. As they grow so has the box. My fear is the racoons will rip my screening apart and attach my precious little ones what do you suggest. Also, I can not get them to come in without a fight. It is a major chase. Thank goodness I have speed on my side. What do you suggest as a good way to train them to be picked up by me?

-- Judy Welker (jwelker@attworldnet.com), April 20, 2002.

We have four pekin ducks that are about four weeks old. We used a box as long as possible and now allow them to be outside. They love our pond and although we've just built a type of duck tractor/pen they do come when I call. They are attached to me since I fed them and handled them most when we got them.

-- Sharon Papps (sharonva1@yahoo.com), April 21, 2002.