My mallard hen is sitting on eggs and not eating. Is this normal?

She is probably drinking water. I am sure you are not looking at her 24/7 so I would assume she is drinking when you are not watching. If she is not drinking or eating well then she is probably sick. She may have a vitamin/mineral deficiency from laying the eggs. I suggest you review her diet and husbandry and make sure you are doing everything 100% correct. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/pigeons-and-doves-feeding

If you feel something round inside Duno's vent, it is possible that she is egg bound and unable to pass the egg. Egg binding is life threatening, and requires veterinary attention immediately, as the hen will die without treatment. I would find a vet to bring Duno into right away.

Thanks for reaching out about Bounty. This sounds like a situation with new bird parents and not sure what they are doing. Males will often sit on the nest while the female forages for food. So this seems extreme behavior but not necessarily odd. Good luck.

This can be normal, especially if you are somewhere where it is still cold and not having a lot of daylight, or is very hot, as environmental stress can sometimes stop laying for a period. If there's been a change to your flock (adding birds, removing birds, etc) or a change to diet it can also take a few days for laying to resume. Very old and very young birds may also not lay regularly until their hormones even out (in the case of young birds). If the lack of laying continues, the comb or waddle become very pale (a sign of illness or anemia), or you see other signs of illness, a vet visit to rule out any health issues is best.

Pretty cool! You don;t really have to feed her as she will look for food in her environment. However you can get a bag of poultry food (not chicken food) and feed her about 6 feet from the nest. Make sure you have a container with some water nearby as well. Poultry food is a mix of food that can be fed to ducks, turkeys and chickens and other fowl. Apart from that, try not to disturb the duck as she may leave the nest if she feels disturbed.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like your hen is very sick and needs to see a veterinarian as soon as possible. This may be due to a gastrointestinal issue or infection for example, among many other possibilities. I highly recommend you consider having her evaluated as soon as possible so that therapy can be started right away. Best of luck!

Thanks for reaching out about Phil, and a veterinary visit is recommended to assess and help. A egg is often palpable in the lower coelom, near the cloaca (but not always). Using olive oil can be difficult and can cause more damage, so is not recommended. Providing a warm nest area (heat support) and offering oral water can give some energy. Good luck.