dead eggs outside nest

[braxide]

i’m so distraught! today i checked the coop and found two seemingly normal eggs on the ground, one was broken with green inside so i assume rotten.. then i spotted one that had a red hue and another with what looks like a pecked hole and blood and black feathers! they’re nowhere near any nest, i’m unsure if the mothers kicked them out or what? the baby inside the broken one was seemingly fully developed with a yolk sac. the eggs were all freezing and the baby was dead upon finding them. what happened?? did the mothers kick them out of the nest? around today or tomorrow is their due time to hatch.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Or possibly another flock member if they have access to the nest.

 

[braxide]

Or possibly another flock member if they have access to the nest.

i thought this too.

 

[braxide]

i’m so distraught! today i checked the coop and found two seemingly normal eggs on the ground, one was broken with green inside so i assume rotten.. then i spotted one that had a red hue and another with what looks like a pecked hole and blood and black feathers! they’re nowhere near any nest, i’m unsure if the mothers kicked them out or what? the baby inside the broken one was seemingly fully developed with a yolk sac. the eggs were all freezing and the baby was dead upon finding them. what happened?? did the mothers kick them out of the nest? around today or tomorrow is their due time to hatch.

okay i checked the coop again and there was a dead baby outside the nest!! i tried to heat it up and see if there was any life but it seemed it was dead far too long… what’s going on?? our ducks our as far as we know at least, new moms….

 

[Miss Lydia]

Where was the mom? who else is in with her? sometimes new moms just don't know what to do with a duckling that just hatched. Was it wounded? What breeds?

 

[braxide]

Where was the mom? who else is in with her? sometimes new moms just don't know what to do with a duckling that just hatched. Was it wounded? What breeds?

our females are all rouens. we had two broody moms in a cage we had left in the coop they decided to make nests in it, 3 babies hatched and were dead upon finding them, we came to the conclusion it’s likely the other mother who killed the babies so we took the one who lost her babies out and left the other mom in there with her last 3 eggs, and covered it up so the other wont try to get in. now the other ones all pissy but i don’t want anymore babies dying. we thought of getting new babies for her since she lost hers but we don’t know how she’d take to that sorta thing, this is our first year hatching ducks , instead of chickens.i included a pic from when they first started laying, of how they shared the nest.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sometimes it works with 2 females being broody together but it had never here. The one who isn’t on the nest will most likely not accept ducklings give her time she’ll get over it. It takes a while for the hormones to calm. Keep us updated on the last 3 eggs. Make sure when hatch begins a duckling can’t get through the crate away from mama.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@braxide any updates?

 

[braxide]

@braxide any updates?

i just checked and there’s no babies yet, i found one that died previously that was burried in the hay but all the eggs are still under the mom. i have no clue if the eggs she’s on now are even fertile

 

[Miss Lydia]

Why not candle? I mean if they aren't fertile no need to let her keep sitting.