Hi,
I am looking for some advice! I had a Buff Orpington Chicken go broody and I stuck 6 duck eggs under her (3 one day and 3 the next). After candling, one was infertile and we tossed it but the other eggs started to hatch today. When I went out this morning one duckling was dead on the floor. I checked an hour or so later and there was another duckling wandering around in a daze and when I put it back in the nest box with the chicken, the chicken pecked at it and seemed to reject it so I quickly set up a brooder and lights and put the duckling in it. I was gone all day and when I got back tonight I checked on the brooder and the duckling is fine. I decided to check under the chicken so I took her out of the nest box and there was one suffocated duckling half out of the egg and there was another duckling that looked really out of it (and one unhatched egg). I decided to put the 2nd duckling in the brooder too since I was afraid the hen was not being very motherly and would suffocate it too.
I guess I am looking for advice on what to do. I am wondering if I did the wrong thing by taking the duck out from under the chicken and if I was just being paranoid that she was suffocating it. Ideally I would rather the chicken raise the ducklings rather than me artificially brooding them, so I am still hoping that the final egg will hatch and I can slip the other 2 ducks back in with the chicken.
Any suggestions on what I should do?
Thanks!
I am looking for some advice! I had a Buff Orpington Chicken go broody and I stuck 6 duck eggs under her (3 one day and 3 the next). After candling, one was infertile and we tossed it but the other eggs started to hatch today. When I went out this morning one duckling was dead on the floor. I checked an hour or so later and there was another duckling wandering around in a daze and when I put it back in the nest box with the chicken, the chicken pecked at it and seemed to reject it so I quickly set up a brooder and lights and put the duckling in it. I was gone all day and when I got back tonight I checked on the brooder and the duckling is fine. I decided to check under the chicken so I took her out of the nest box and there was one suffocated duckling half out of the egg and there was another duckling that looked really out of it (and one unhatched egg). I decided to put the 2nd duckling in the brooder too since I was afraid the hen was not being very motherly and would suffocate it too.
I guess I am looking for advice on what to do. I am wondering if I did the wrong thing by taking the duck out from under the chicken and if I was just being paranoid that she was suffocating it. Ideally I would rather the chicken raise the ducklings rather than me artificially brooding them, so I am still hoping that the final egg will hatch and I can slip the other 2 ducks back in with the chicken.
Any suggestions on what I should do?
Thanks!
