Ducks raising baby chickens?

[Haloclimb]

When our duck went broody, some of the chickens kept laying eggs under her. We tried to get the eggs out in time, but one got through and started developing so we decided to leave it under her. Our question is, what will happen if and when the egg hatches? Will she instantly recognize it as not hers and attack it?

And does anyone else have any stories with ducks raising eggs that aren't theirs, like chicken eggs? How did it go? If we really need to, we'll take the chick off her as it's hatching/once it's hatched so theres no problems.
Thanks everyone!

 

[jamband]

she will take care of it just like her other babies most likely.....just be careful she doesnt lead he chick to water.

 

[godsgurl377]

I would take it off as its hatching or at least right after, partly because you don't know how she will react to the baby, but mostly because depending on when it was laid, the chicken egg may hatch sooner than the ducklings. If there is too long between them hatching, your duck may abandon the duck eggs to care for the chick. As far as a duck hatching out chicken eggs, I don't know what kind you have but I have friends who say their khaki campbells will hatch out anything! Good luck!

 

[v.cyr]

ditto to what jamband said... be very wary of her leading the chicks into water...the duck doesn't know any better, and the chicks just know to follow "mamma"... ends badly

...
the opposite( when a chicken hatches ducks), however, can be quite amusing... seen a few broody hens flip out when the ducks they hatched decide to go for a swim for the first time...

 

[Haloclimb]

Awesome, thanks for the advice everyone!
She's just sitting on the one egg and I've emptied out the kiddie pool so she can't go teaching them to drown...I'll probably end up taking the chick off her, but if she looks like she's doing a really good job as a mum I might leave it with her! Thank you all for the replies

 

[Haloclimb]

Just an update on this:
Ducks do not make good mothers for baby chickens. She partially ate the chick while it was hatching during the night ):

 

[Miss Lydia]

Just an update on this:
Ducks do not make good mothers for baby chickens. She partially ate the chick while it was hatching during the night ):

My goodness thats too bad. is she sitting on more eggs?

 

[aoxa]

My goodness thats too bad. is she sitting on more eggs? 

x2

Though I just had a broody RIR try to eat her baby as well I can't imagine why your duck would do this to a chick if she wouldn't to a duck. Seems like your duck may just not be meant to be a mother yet. What breed is she?

 

[Haloclimb]

x2
Though I just had a broody RIR try to eat her baby as well

I can't imagine why your duck would do this to a chick if she wouldn't to a duck. Seems like your duck may just not be meant to be a mother yet. What breed is she?

She's a Muscovy, but this is the first egg she's tried to hatch so she's probably just not a good mother!

My goodness thats too bad. is she sitting on more eggs?

No, that was the only egg she was sitting on. It was more of an accident that she had the egg at all- the chickens kept sneaking into her coop and laying eggs under her, and we missed that one. By the time we found it, it had started developing so we decided to leave it for her. I don't think she'll be having any more eggs to sit on after this!

 

[aoxa]

She's a Muscovy, but this is the first egg she's tried to hatch so she's probably just not a good mother!


No, that was the only egg she was sitting on. It was more of an accident that she had the egg at all- the chickens kept sneaking into her coop and laying eggs under her, and we missed that one. By the time we found it, it had started developing so we decided to leave it for her. I don't think she'll be having any more eggs to sit on after this!

I'm very sorry I found taking the eggs away from my muscovy stopped her broodiness. Maybe I was lucky? I don't have a drake to fertilize the eggs, and she hid a good 15 behind a bunch of pallets in my barn. I didn't even notice her missing right away. After 3 weeks I took them all away and tried to replace them with ducklings - she decided being a mom was too much work and now I'm raising all 12 of them

She didn't even try to go back after I removed her eggs. It was the easiest bird to break from broodiness ever..