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Not sure if this is the right place but here goes. One of our neighbour's ducks has decided to lay her eggs next to the patio in what I like to call the pretty bit of our garden. No problem from our point of view, and they're quite happy to let her sit here rather than there.

My problem is that we discovered her nest because my son and I went out in the garden to play and there she was. So she's currently sitting under a tree at the opposite end of the garden. It's only been an hour, and there's only one egg. How long can the egg safely be left without her, and what's the incubation period?

As I said, we're all quite happy for them to stay there. Just need to know what's best to do really.

Thanks
Lynne

Do the neighbours want ducklings? If not just collect the eggs and eat them!

do the neighbours have a drake?

The neighbours have ducks, drakes, hens and cockerels. They don't eat any of them. They hatch and sell them. But they're happy for their duck to stay in our garden and to be fair, with the weather being as it has here, we haven't been out into that part of the garden for a week or so, so I'm not sure how long the nest's been there. So not inclined to eat the eggs, in case all I get is half developed duckling instead of an omlette!