I feel bad collecting my ducks eggs

[sustainabee]

I have two female buff ducks. One has been laying eggs and had a clutch of 20. She was sitting on them this morning so when she got up to swim I collected them. I feel terrible for taking them because I don't want her feeling like her babies have been stolen from her. I know I'm over-thinking I just can't help feel bad for her. Any advice or reassurances would be appreciated. Also is it normal for two females to mate?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have two female buff ducks. One has been laying eggs and had a clutch of 20. She was sitting on them this morning so when she got up to swim I collected them. I feel terrible for taking them because I don't want her feeling like her babies have been stolen from her. I know I'm over-thinking I just can't help feel bad for her. Any advice or reassurances would be appreciated. Also is it normal for two females to mate?

For one thing collect daily, 20 eggs is a clutch to a duck and may cause broodiness so collect your eggs daily.She'll just get up and go on with her life.

@sustainabee Welcome to BYC

 

[lomine]

I agree, Collect every day. If you have no drakes the eggs would never hatch anyway and they would begin to spoil. I doubt you want a rotten egg accidentally getting broken or exploding.

Brooding eggs is hard on a hen so I don't let mine go broody. I have three hens and all have tried going broody at least once this year, multiply times for two of them. I collect every day but I have WH and they are know to be a broody breed. Couple times they tried to brood one egg.

I just push them out of whatever nest they have created for themselves. They protest for a couple of minutes but get over it quickly.

To answer your other question, yes hens will mount each other. I have only hens and they do it all the time. Though not as much now since mating season is over.

 

[sustainabee]

Thank y'all for the response. I check them daily but Cleo is getting great at hiding her eggs. They roam free in my gardens and have been nesting underneath my plants. She moved her nest to an even more hidden area and I thought maybe it was just too hot for her to lay eggs the last week. Little buggers are good at hiding when they want to I suppose. I'll have to be more diligent.

 

[cayugaducklady]

I collect daily but I only do it when my hens are busy with their daily water play. I used to collect them with them around but I observed one of my hens "deflate" after I gathered the eggs she had just been sitting on. My girls all share the same nest for laying.

 

[daphnelovely]

Hi I have 7 hens and between them I get 2 to 5 eggs daily. I believe more than 1 is laying but not sure who as they have laid all the eggs in the same spot since their arrival with us. When i let them out of their shed into their pen every morning they only care about going outside and getting to thr pool. They get fresh pool water, water buckets and food and then i collect the eggs. It has no affect on them whatsoever that i have noticed. Collecting daily is the best i believe. Plus im not sure how healthy eggs are after laying out for days in the heat etc..
As for the ladies yes, im also learning its completely normal. I have one hen that will only "mate" with other hens and will have nothing to do with the drakes. As long as they are healthy, happy and not hurting eachother they are just fine