Muscovy ducks leaving eggs 1 day at a time.

[ljmastercraft]

Hey - was in a similar situation - 20 eggs, so you figure the mother must have been laying for a few weeks.
Muscovy eggs need to incubate for a full 5 weeks (a week longer than other ducks)

But once they're laid, if she isn't sitting on them they can sit out for weeks. Once they start being incubated, that's what prompts the growth of the embryo.

 

[ljmastercraft]

If she's not sitting on them over night, they're not going to develop

Trust nature. One thing I learned (i've spent dozens of hours talking to people on the phone that have raised Muscovys, reading posts, researching, etc) - is that Muscovys will sit on their eggs for a few hours to prevent them getting too chilled.

Once they've laid ALL the eggs then they'll start sitting 24/7. But that might take WEEKS. a 28 egg clutch will take 4 weeks.

So just trust the process. Let her do her thing. When there are enough eggs then she'll start sitting on them. Sitting for a few hours is not hurting them. They know better than us

 

[newbie ducks]

they live across the street in the big pond behind people's homes. mama cookie dough started laying on jan 13 had 5, but 1 was cracked i disposed of it for her so it wouldn't smell. then there was 4 eggs for about 2 weeks. she didn't have any more until the end of month on jan 30 then there was 5 & today feb 3 there's 9 eggs, her & big oreo left them like this inside the box duck house today. The box house has a big window cut out on the side where she can see us coming out of my house, so we don't freak her out. she been coming morning with another older duck we call her big oreo or she come with oreo jr. or xbox. don't ask the kids named them. lol. I been trying to get them used to us coming in & out of our front door, so they don;t freak out to much to give you idea where her nest & house I made her is located. I left them cracked duck food outside they eat it when they feel like it. I'm wondering if i should get her some live worms & leave a few by her nest in a bowl maybe it make her family feel more comfortable around us? she is always here at same time I have to take my grandson to school. she will stay in her house for a while & I talk to her when we come out of my house, but the rest of the family if they with her they will follow alongside of us all the way to my car & do their talking & make some noises, I tell them its okay just taking my grandson to school & he will tell them hi & good morning & I tell them you all are safe no one will bother you & good morning & call them by their names & they will watch us drive away.
they are all normally gone when I get back from his school.
I like to think all the duck's kinda understand what I say to them. idk.
I don't want her & the family to attack us as we walking out down to the car or if some other kid or person comes up to my front door because if they go into protect mode if the kids hatched.