Hello,
I have a Lavendar Muscovy hen that's gone broody... she stopped laying a few days ago, sits on other birds' eggs each morning, is aggressive/ruffled feathers and not her usual self. When I've been taking the eggs away from her, she's clearly mad and chirpy, but then she finally leaves the coop for the day. She really wants to sit.
I've decided to take advantage of this, and am picking up 12 fertilized Khaki Campbell eggs on Sunday (Thursday now). Hoping she'll sit on them and be the good parent she is supposed to be... I hear Muscovys are often used to hatch out campbells, runners and other, less broody, ducks.
I'm nervous about the best way to keep her broody until Sunday and get the timing right. Should I let her sit on a few unfertilized Indian Runner & Chicken eggs that I have for now to keep her broody? Then add in or swap them for the Campbell eggs on Sunday?
I'm thinking if she sits on 3 or so unfertilized eggs for the next few days, she'll stay broody. Sunday I can swap in all the fertilized Campbell eggs and she'll continue to sit. I guess I'm figuring the Campbell eggs should take 28 days or so and she's wired to sit there for 35 days I hear... any advice?
-Tom