Want to move duck eggs from hen to incubator

Hi everyone,

A month ago, I had a broody hen and so did a friend of mine. I bought some pure bred Amerucana's to put under my hen. I gave my friend some fertile Khaki Campbell duck eggs to put under her hen.

My friend does not want the ducklings. I was going to sell them after they hatched. She just wanted to make her hen happy.

At first, my broody sort of sat on the eggs, but only at night. During the daytime, she spent her time harassing my other hen who had just recently hatched some other ducklings for me. She was crazed with jealousy. So, I took the Amerucana eggs to my friend's hen who is now sitting on them along with the duck eggs.

Here's the big problem. The duck eggs are due to hatch on Sunday. The chicken eggs are due to hatch one week later. What should I do?

If she hatches the ducklings, I believe the hen will abandon the chicks, but I really want these chicks.

I think I have two options. Either put the duck eggs in an incubator now, or put the chicken eggs in an incubator after the ducks hatch.

How do I do this and get the best possible outcome here. Any ideas?

Thanks for your help!

Sure, just go grab the eggs and put them in the incubator. You may want to give them a spritz of water when you put them in and don't jar them to much on the trip but the chicks are nearly fully formed and ready to hatch. They are producing some heat on their own so cooling during transport is not as big of a deal, just don't put them under the air conditioner in a car (or in the heat for that matter). This is probably the safest time to move incubating eggs if it must be done. Good luck!

I think you mean the duck eggs, yes? And leave the chicken eggs under the hen?

Did you set both hens at the same time? Or how much later did you put the chicken eggs under your hen? If your friend's hen has been sitting on the duck eggs for a month, I'd take the chicken eggs out from under her and give her a chance to get off the nest once the ducks hatch. It does take a bit out of a hen to set for so long.

The duck eggs have been under her for 25 days. The chicken eggs have been under her for 12 days.

I am inclined to think the ducks are more developed, and therefor more likely to me it in the incubator. But I'm basing that off nothing but a hunch.

That said, I've always had terrible luck hatching anything in my LG incubator. :-(

How long did your broody have the eggs that are now at your friend's house? Have you candled them to see if they're even still alive? I'd wonder about that if she only sat on them at night and not during the day as you stated in your first post.

Well no, I have not yet candled them. I am concerned about that issue, I just haven't been back to her house since depositing the eggs. I would certainly candle before moving anything.

My other hen (the one that hatched the ducklings that caused all the jealous tensions) was terrible about sitting on her eggs at the beginning. She's sit, and then wouldn't, and then would again. But she knew what she was doing. She had a 100% hatch rate.

Sorry, I didn't answer your question. I think I let the broody have them for two days and two nights.