Duration of Fertility in the Domestic Mallard Hen after Isolation from the Drake

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Abstract
During 3 laying seasons 107 [female] mallard ducks were separated from drakes after having run with them for at least a week. Eggs collected daily were marked and stored at 55[degree]F before being set in forced-draft incubators. After candling on fourth day, eggs apparently infertile were broken and examined to detect early embryonic deaths. Fertility was 64% first week, 37% the second, 3% third. In 4 tests last fertile egg layed following isolation was on days 12, 14, 15, and 17. Among individually isolated hens fertility lasted 6-14 days. It is clear that females in wild could not lay second fertile clutches without remating. Implication is that sex ratio disparities observed in wild ducks may be natural and essential for species survival[long dash]excess drakes providing new mates for hens forced to renest after destruction of first nests.

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