Broody duck has eggs of all different stages!!

xKaitlin

In the Brooder
Jul 29, 2023
14
10
29
Northern Ireland
So my Aylesbury duck has been sitting on her eggs for almost 28 days now, and I only realised 15 days in that she had been laying the whole time.

After candling the eggs I think I’ve got two out of six that are ready to pip but the rest still look quite behind as their air cell is quite small.

What should I do? I don’t have an incubator but should I take the early hatched ducklings away and hope she keeps sitting on the rest or leave them and hope she stays on the nest as we are going to make a small pen for her and her ducklings so they won’t be running off.

I have a heat lamp so if needed I could separate.
 
I would remove the ducklings, but she may still break broodiness as she is biologically programmed to leave the nest within 36 hours after the first duckling hatches. Once/if the hatch is complete, I'd return the ducklings to her.
 
I would remove the ducklings, but she may still break broodiness as she is biologically programmed to leave the nest within 36 hours after the first duckling hatches. Once/if the hatch is complete, I'd return the ducklings to her.
Will she accept them even if they have been away ?
 
I have a broody Swedish first time mama laying on eggs that I put in her nest she'd begun and let her keep laying top she was ready to stop. I got busy and wasn't thinking about the time spans. Any way I try to candle them if and in when mama duck is out foraging. But I worry that I might put them back incorrectly or may have ripped them incorrectly while candling. I have not taken them inside to get a take a real close look so I can't tell much accept that most look like they should be close to hatching. Would it be harmful to b remove some eggs and bring them in for a closet look??
 

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