A baby just hatched need advice!

NicoleC82

In the Brooder
Jul 25, 2025
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15
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Hi We just had 1/7 duck eggs hatch. My mama duck is sitting on the other 6 with baby by her side. I have her in the main duck coop but in a dog kennel and nest is inside a little dog house. I noticed ants attracted to the empty egg so I removed it but there are ants in her nest. Once everyone is hatched should I relocate her and babies inside? She has a drake she lives with but I dont trust him with the babies. Or should I just leave her outside in her coop? Also can someone tell me what kind of duck she is?
 

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I'm no expert on ducks, but for the ant issue, I'd get some food grade diatomaceous earth and sprinkle that around the hen. It'll kill the ants and won't hurt the ducklings. We use that around our house and coops to keep them out.

Rather than relocating the mom and ducklings, if you're afraid of the drake harming them, could you pen him up for a week until they get stronger, then try letting him out to see what he does?
 
Hi.

I noticed ants attracted to the empty egg so I removed it but there are ants in her nest.

I'm no expert on ducks, but for the ant issue, I'd get some food grade diatomaceous earth and sprinkle that around the hen. It'll kill the ants and won't hurt the ducklings. We use that around our house and coops to keep them out.

I agree with @Debbie292d : food grade Diatomaceous Earth will help with the ants.

NEVERTHELESS : you HAVE to wait for your ducklings to hatch BEFORE using food grade DE around/in the nest!!

Also, just so you know : you can even mix food grade Diatomaceous Earth with your ducklings' food.

She has a drake she lives with but I dont trust him with the babies.

DON'T let the drake around the babies!!

Also can someone tell me what kind of duck she is?

A better picture would help, but from what I can tell, your hen looks like a Penciled coloured Call Duck...?
 
Why do you suggest this? I'd kill the ants now. That way the ducklings won't hatch with ants crawling all over them.

Because Diatomaceous Earth would absord the moisture, and it could thus affect the ducklings, cause shrink wrapping, and so prevent the babies from hatching (and surviving)...

I had tried it once, in the past. Just for the experience...
I had put food grade Diatmaceous Earth in a broody hen's nest - just before letting her sit on the eggs, so to not kill any developed baby...
..And the result, of course, was that none of the eggs had then hatched, or even developed a tiny bit...!

Thus, I really would not risk putting DE in or around the nest now : I would wait for the ducklings to hatch.
 
Because Diatomaceous Earth would absord the moisture, and it could thus affect the ducklings, cause shrink wrapping, and so prevent the babies from hatching (and surviving)...

I had tried it once, in the past. Just for the experience...
I had put food grade Diatmaceous Earth in a broody hen's nest - just before letting her sit on the eggs, so to not kill any developed baby...
..And the result, of course, was that none of the eggs had then hatched, or even developed a tiny bit...!

Thus, I really would not risk putting DE in or around the nest now : I would wait for the ducklings to hatch.
Gotcha. I did not say to pick up the hen and sprinkle the eggs. I suggested around the hen.
 
I did not say to pick up the hen and sprinkle the eggs. I suggested around the hen.

Yeah, I know.

I'm just giving details here for @NicoleC82 and people who would read it, in case it might help...

(Even then, I would not even risk putting DE around the hen : we can't be sure it won't affect the moisture on the eggs, so it would be better to wait for the ducklings to hatch.)
 
I use Diatomaceous Earth to control fire ants in my duck house, but I amly hsve drakes. I think the argument about DE drying the eggs sounds likely, so I agree with not using it until the ducklings are hatched. Perhaps use it outside the dogkennel.

I strongly advise separating the drake. Many (but not all) drakes actively kill ducklings. Others kill the male ducklings: they know the ducklings' even when we do not. In the wild, drakes are generally not involved with caring for ducklings. Depending on how many adult females you have. You will likely have to separate the drake until the ducklings are 24-28 weeks as your drake would harm the female ducklings mounting them. Male ducklings will always be at risk with the adult drake
 

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