Muscovy duckligs...leave them with mom or take then inside????

[LindsaySinai]

I had three hatch yesterday morning and left them with their mom overnight. I live in southern California and the weather is a little bit colder then normal right now...but the low is still only 50. She didn't get off them until this afternoon and now she just wants to roam the yard with them following. We have chickens that are trying to peck them...but think it's just curiosity and it'll pass...hopefully. But, I worry it still might be too cold. Should I just let nature take its course or take them inside?????? I hate to take them away from their mom.

 

[meendog10]

If the mom is older and has more experience they will be fine because she will know to keep them warm. Younger female with less experience i would not risk it and take them inside

 

[Amykins]

Honey, I was born and raised in SoCal. I currently live in Seattle. Many folks here at BYC live on the east coast. Nighttime lows in the 50's are too cold? That's just adorable.

Frankly the pecking worries me more than the temperature. You probably should keep mama and babies separated from the chickens until the babies are a bit older.

 

[LindsaySinai]

Honey, I was born and raised in SoCal. I currently live in Seattle. Many folks here at BYC live on the east coast. Nighttime lows in the 50's are too cold? That's just adorable.

Frankly the pecking worries me more than the temperature. You probably should keep mama and babies separated from the chickens until the babies are a bit older.

My boyfriend's from Virginia and often makes fun of my "cold" comments..haha! I know it's not really cold...just cold for them. And the mom is on the younger side, not quite sure how young though. She's a first time mom. The area they're kept in is about 25x40ft for 7 chickens and three ducks, so there's plenty of room. There's just the two chickens who keep coming up and the mom isn't doing anything about it. Then my boyfriend went out to scare the chickens away and the mom tried to attack him!! When they first hatched she grabbed the other female Muscovy by the wing and drug her out of the duck house, so I know she's capable of protecting them, but for some reason she doesn't seem worried about the chickens.

 

[Amykins]

Since she's a first-time mom, I agree with Meen that you should think about bringing the family indoors for a week or so.

 

[LindsaySinai]

The "family"...mom too?? Or just the babies??

 

[Miss Lydia]

The "family"...mom too?? Or just the babies??

I would dif keep the ducklings away for the chickens. if you can bring all in then I'd bring mom in too. Watching my mama Muscovy's with their ducklings some are very protective some not so much and ducklings can be injured or killed really easy when just hatched. Best to keep them away but where all can see them for at least first 3 weeks.

 

[LindsaySinai]

**UPDATE** I went out in the yard prepared to "save" my ducklings and what I witnessed changed my mind. Not only had the chickens seemed to lose interest, one of the ducklings(I'll assume this one is a male) has taken to chasing the flock of hens around the yard. I find it hard to believe there's anything more amusing then a day old duck terrifying a flock of chickens. Later in the day I started to worry again because it was getting colder and about to rain. The momma duck had decided to lay halfway under my hibiscus instead of the dry duck house. We changed the bedding and grabbed the ducklings, luring the mom over to the house. This somehow triggered playtime to the ducklings and they made a mad dash to the water bowl half way across the yard and decided it was time for a swim. Momma duck waddled over and watched them play. I decided to leave the yard thinking she would take them in for the evening. Instead, she let them play for awhile longer then resumed her position under the bush. We woke to happy ducklings playing in the rain. So....I'm going to go out on a limb and say my momma duck knows best and leave it be(knock on wood, fingers crossed!!).

 

[Miss Lydia]

**UPDATE** I went out in the yard prepared to "save" my ducklings and what I witnessed changed my mind. Not only had the chickens seemed to lose interest, one of the ducklings(I'll assume this one is a male) has taken to chasing the flock of hens around the yard. I find it hard to believe there's anything more amusing then a day old duck terrifying a flock of chickens. Later in the day I started to worry again because it was getting colder and about to rain. The momma duck had decided to lay halfway under my hibiscus instead of the dry duck house. We changed the bedding and grabbed the ducklings, luring the mom over to the house. This somehow triggered playtime to the ducklings and they made a mad dash to the water bowl half way across the yard and decided it was time for a swim. Momma duck waddled over and watched them play. I decided to leave the yard thinking she would take them in for the evening. Instead, she let them play for awhile longer then resumed her position under the bush. We woke to happy ducklings playing in the rain. So....I'm going to go out on a limb and say my momma duck knows best and leave it be(knock on wood, fingers crossed!!).