You have to start from the first day of incubation. Eggs are laid one a day until they are all laid, but not incubated until the last one is laid so they all hatch the same day. Sounds like the clutch is complete, as most lay 12-14. I would start the count from the day you saw her sitting on them for a while. She won't sit there except to lay the eggs until they are all ready or else the incubation will start. If you know the exact day she laid the last egg, that would be day 1.

if not too late... don't have to separate if you have a large enough pen drake shouldn't attack them, but be on guard for possibility our experience is those eggs hatch on the morning of the 28th day of incubating mother duck hen is efficient and will stay on the nest with the ducklings until the last one is hatched or if separated by more than 24 hours will take off the ducklings and leave any eggs on the nest. Make sure if ducklings have access to water they also have a ramp so they can climb out. The adult ducks won't help them and their shorter legs don't either. It is easier for them to enter than get out. Improvise with what you have making sure that it's not a slick surface. Blocks of wood screwed or nailed together on either side of the pool like a step up & over & down work as does wire covered wood ramps. Wet wood is slick for them and slimes up quickly in a duck environment. Watch out for sharp wire edges that could injure them. Fluffy down isn't as efficient as preened adult feathers, so they will get wet and need to dry off.

They do use lead, regardless of laws. Rehabbers deal with this regularly. But Wood ducks are not divers or grazers (like Canada geese), so not sure from what source the lead would come. Possible she was poisoned? Or shot, and made it back to the nest? I don't think sparrows would/could kill even a little duck like a Wood duck. Sad to find that. Dirtgirl, may I make a suggestion, though? I say this every spring and summer, and people hate me for it, but I know you will not. I do not think it's ever a good idea to check bird nests that are accessible to predators, or that do not need to be maintained (like bluebirds). I know there was no indication of traumatic injury (like you would with a raccoon attack), but visiting nests regularly leaves a scent trail for mammal predators (like raccoons and even squirrels) and crows watch and figure out something is doing in there. And I am not at all suggesting that's what happened, but you know your stuff, and I know people will probably follow your example more than mine : ) Anyway, happy spring, and good luck with the W. ducks this year.

BLESS YOU for sending me the link to the Wood Duck clip highlights-both DuBois and I watched it a few minutes ago. Gracious-I didn't think that last duckling would make it. The link is so cool-it shows two cameras-one of the box and pond (so you can see them after they jump) and one of the inside of the box.-you can see them climb up and out http://www.filefactory.com/file/ag1eb41/n/WoodDuck-2_2Cam_avi I had to download a free copy of File Factory Basic. At first I couldn't get the videos but this last HP computer and Firefox browser automatic upgrade suddenly made me able to not only see your clips but see other links I got from Twitter-like the one to the live peregrine falcon chick cam at http://www2.fiberpipe.net/falconcam/live.asp live loon cam at http://www.mnbound.com/live-loon-cam/ Also I can now hear my favorite (French/Creole, from Haiti-lot's of original West Indian music) radio station at http://radio4veh.org/radio_plus/radio_4veh.html