Two nights in a row we had one duck missing at coop shut up time. Each night a different duck was missing. We had to search through all the overgrown brush and each time finally found the missing duck. In each case they had stored up a large nest of eggs (both duck and chicken eggs) and decided they had enough to sit on. We don't have need for more ducks and I don't want to have the ducks staying out all night. Even though we're fenced in there's still a chance that a predator could get in. Funny that this is our 4th summer with ducks yet the first time we've had to deal with this level of broodiness and hidden nests. I guess all the new area they have access to now has encouraged them to hide nests. Even though I knew it was the first night in both cases for the eggs to be sat on I still candled them all carefully, just in case, but found no start of development. In the second nest some were clearly over ripe smelling. It's been very hot here and these ducks had not been attending to these nests. Some of the eggs could have been a couple weeks old. After checking them all I cracked and composted them.
Broody 1, one of the Rouen's, not sure if this is Pebbles or Puddleduck had 14 duck eggs and 1 chicken egg in her stash. I lured her off with treats then put her into the coop for the night. She seemed fine about it the next day.
Broody 2 was Baby duck, a mixed breed. She's one of the three ducks we took in last year when hubby's co-worker needed to rehome them. Baby had 13 green duck eggs and 4 green pullet chicken eggs!
I fully expected to have to play find the duck for a third night in a row but thankfully all ducks were present at coop shut up time that third night and the broodiness seems to have subsided for now.
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