anyone ever had a duck incubate chicken eggs?

[Ducklove334]

I have 4 cochin eggs still sitting in the carton, no room in the bator, and no broody hens to stick them under without having to take them in about 2 weeks,

I THINK, I'm not sure, that my mallard, Mouse may be brooding again, I'll have to check the nest box. if she is, I had thought about putting them under her for the 3 weeks, until about a day or so before hatch.

by then I should have room in the bator.

but my question is, would she be able to brood them right?, or would the humidity in the nest be too high?

these costs alot of money, for SIX of them, so I don't want them to go to waste.

 

[CritterBazaar]

I have had chickens hatch my duck eggs. The biggest problem is the 21 versus 28 days. Watch your hen and make sure she does not abandon the nest before you get them to your bator. She should be fine for the first three weeks.

 

[CritterBazaar]

OK - I read that backwards. And yes I have had ducks hatch chicken eggs. It is easier that way as they tend not to abandon the nest. As for humidity - that is anyones guess in the rainy weather we are having. I would give it a shot. Wish I could send you one of my broody hens - she keeps moving from goose, to turkey, to ducks..

 

[Ducklove334]

I've had chickens hatch ducks too, infact our blue cochin Stella is sitting on 5 mallard eggs now, due to hatch the 28th!.

I might try it when I check later, it'd be cool to see if she could hatch them.

 

[Lollipop]

Just wanna add my 2 cents. No problem hatching that way, except you should make sure the duck only has access to DRINKING water. Waterfowl tend to make high humidity by carrying moisture in their feathers back to the nest, if they are allowed to swim. I`m sure I don`t have to say anything about swimming after the chicks hatch, should she be allowed to keep them.....Pop

 

[Ducklove334]

oh, no she shouldn't be allowed to keep the chicks, chicks can't swim

how many eggs can a cochin cover?

two of our broody hens are cochins, one has 5 duck eggs and 3 chicken eggs, and one has 5 chicken and 4 duck eggs. I've heard of cochins hatching out 15-16 chicks, but I dunno if either could handle 4 more.