I have a rouen duck that is setting. She started out with 11 eggs, now we are down to three. We found a dead newly hatched but fluffed out duckling next to her. Then one crushed in the shell. She had one today that was coming along nicely, its bill was out and coming out of the shell fine. Later, it too was crushed. I have no idea what happened to the other 5 eggs, I suspect she kicked them out. It may be too late for her hatch, but I'd like to hear any suggestions on what to do to save the little guys. I have two ducks setting on another nest that should be due any day now. They belong to my 12 year old daughter and she's getting just a bit discouraged about the whole ordeal. Thanks for any advice you may offer.

-- Sharon (spangenberg@hovac.com), June 14, 2001

Answers

Sharon, go to www.The Poultry Connection.com,click on the General Waterfowl Forum and post this question there. TPC has a bunch of willing and able experts to help with this. My ducks are bantams (except for a couple of Indian Runners for eggs)and I haven't run into this problem. I know someone there can help. Sorry for your trouble. :-)

-- Little Quacker (carouselxing@juno.com), June 14, 2001.

My Blue Swede just hatched out a bunch. She had been sitting on 10 eggs, and one day we were stting out in the clearing and Bunny (dh) said, hey, there's an egg over there. I went to check it out. It was a half-baked ducky which still had some yolk but also was feathered some. It was quite a ways from the nest, which was way back in a slashpile. I couldn't even figure out how it got where it was. A day or two later, sort of in the same spot was another egg, but this one was rotten and stinky. I figured maybe she smelled a bad egg and removed the first one thinking it was the bad one, but then found the real bad egg the next day and got it out of the nest. She hatched out 8 ducklings, one of whom didn't make it, 7 of which are trottling along after Mama Duck now. It is possible that Mama Rouen had her reasons, or it is also possible she's a psychoduck and should be shipped to Alfred Hitchcock. Chances are probably very good that the other ducks will be just fine...hope for the best.

-- snoozy (bunny@northsound.net), June 15, 2001.

Hi,

I just had a goose who did the same thing. What we did was to check the nest a few times a day. When they are just ready to hatch, you can kind of hear and feel them moving around in the shell a bit.

If they are just hatching, or already hatched, take them from the nest and place them into a small box or crate equipped away from drafts, and hook up a warm light bulb and hang it inside the box. If you are using a crate, be sure to throw a towel or something over the top to hold the heat in.

If they are weak, you may have to take some time and give them a bit of water with a dropper until they're good and strong. You can feed them small pieces of vegetables until they're moving around well on their own.

-- Lee Seese (ziglee@floodcity.net), June 16, 2001.

Thanks for all the advice--there is only one egg left now, no success yet. However, I do have another nest about ready to hatch. I appreciate you all taking the time to answer. Sharon

-- Sharon (spangenberg@hovac.com), June 16, 2001.