[Tattyanne456]

Hi can anyone advise please. I have 3 ducks, 1 minature appleyard female, 1 call duck drake and 1 call duck female. The females have laid a clutch of eggs, and sit on them sporadically. they sit on them at night, and part of the morning, but then about midday till early evening they get off them. It has been unseasonally hot during the day, is that why they are getting off? Should they be sat on them all the time? Are the eggs now spoiled or can I put them into an incubator? The eggs are probably a couple of weeks old now, and I am not sure what to do, just trust the ducks to know what they are doing, or put them into an incubator? Any advice gratefully recieved.

[Sassy]

Sorry but I cannot answer your question specifically. Ducks do not usually make good sitters. Do you have a broody hen? If so try putting them or some new eggs under her. otherwise leave the ducks to it and see what happens. Duck eggs take 28 days to hatching. Good luck.

[Kate and her Ducks]

You are probably not going to have much luck with these eggs if they have been sitting so erratically and as Sassy said, ducks are known for not being good sitters. That being said the best broody I've had was my large Silver Appleyard.

If you have an incubator then you could always candle the eggs to see if they have a viable embryo developing in them and put them in if there is but in all honesty you are probably better giving up on this clutch (or leaving them to the ducks and crossing your fingers) and setting fresh eggs in the incubator. That way you will know exactly where you stand with them.