Mallard Duck eggs
Posted by Meg Rader on May 24, 2007
Q: I live on a lake and a mallard duck female abandoned her nest of 7 eggs. I am trying to artificially incubate them. Is there any way to determine how long ago she laid them?
Habitat: pond/lake
State: Indiana
Habitat: pond/lake
A: The question is "when did she begin incubation". In most cases, a Mallard lays an egg each day until her clutch is complete. Up until that time, the eggs are not incubated and simply remain cool (ambient temp) until she actively incubates. I think the only way to know whether she was incubating would be if you saw her sitting on the nest for long periods. So, if the eggs from her nest had never been incubated, then you can do so and expect hatching in 26-30 days. If, on the other hand, the eggs were being incubated, then they shouldn't cool for more than an hour or so. Let's hope you started the process rather than became involved part way through. Best of luck.
John Wiessinger ( May 25, 2007)