Adding a duckling to the hen house

[vermontgal]

I have heard that you can possibly introduce chicks into the hen house if you can get one of the chickens to "adopt" the chick - preferably by popping it under her on the nest. Would the same work for a duckling?

What's the best way to add 1 duckling (Khaki Campbell) to the henhouse? I will have 2 adult hens in the spring, a couple chicks, and the duckling.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[ametauss]

I don't know about getting a hen to accept a duckling but I raised a chick and a duck together and the duck thought it was a chicken.... It wasn't until we got another duck that he actually started to act like a duck... getting in water and not doing a chicken walk....

Of course the chicken walk was extremely funny!!

 

[chickmommar]

If you have a truly broody hen, you theoretically can sneak a very young chick or duckling or keet, etc., under her in dark of night. But the baby needs to be really young - a hatchling, and the mama has to be really broody and at it long enough to feel maternal. I've had a hen hatch a duckling for me and be its mama until I was ready to take over for her a week or two later. I do think you want a backup plan in case the hen won't be fooled. And it is risky because if she's not fooled, she may well decide to kill the baby. Good luck.