Baby call duck question!!! Need answer fast!

[cashela]

Need help, my mom's call duck just hatched out 3 baby ducks. She actually hatched four but one died. The male is still with them. Is it ok that the male is still there? We don't know why the one died. Did the male kill it?

 

[Amiga]

I'm not a call duck person, but can tell you what I have read and hope a call expert chimes in soon.

With ducks in general sometimes the worst happens - the drake, or even the duck herself, kills the hatchlings. You may want to "rescue" the other three, or watch'em nonstop for a bit if that is possible (if you can't watch, I'd separate them). The babes need to be about 90 degrees F the first week, if they are like my runners.

Prayers for you all, and for an experienced call lover to jump in here.

Calls may be better parents than many ducks - I would just urge caution.

 

[Katy]

Drakes usually are not nice to ducklings. I seperate them from the drake.....either with the hen or I take them and raise them.

 

[Sweetfolly]

When I bought some Call ducklings locally last year from two separate breeding pens, the ducks and drakes were both together with the babies - one of the pens was about 4' x 3' (rabbit-type hutch) and had a pair of parents, the other was a chain-link dog enclosure (probably 6'x6') with a trio of parents (2 mommies and a daddy). The drakes were being perfect gentlemen, and the babies were happy and healthy.

When I allowed my broody Khaki Campbell to hatch some eggs last summer, the drake (he's kind of a shy guy to begin with) stayed far away from momma and the nest - momma wouldn't let him NEAR it!

But, the broody momma herself ended up killing one of the ducklings and then smashing the remaining eggs.

Calls are pretty delicate as ducklings, so the little one might have just died of weakness and exhaustion from hatching. If the duck is a first-time momma, she might have accidentally squished the baby. I'd just keep an eye on them, and if it looks like any of the rest are in danger, take them inside and raise them up in a brooder.

 

[cashela]

Thanks guys. This is our first time, obviously. My mom got the two ducks and have had them for just under a year so this is the first time that eggs have been laid so my mom decided to see what would happen. We thought the eggs weren't fertile and my mom was going to take the eggs away this weekend as it would be over the time that we read they would hatch. Low and behold she went out to feed them and found the three babies. The ducks won't let my mom near the ducklings they are being very protective of them. So where one had died we weren't sure if the male had killed it or not. Guess we should have asked more questions in advance but to be honest we weren't expecting them to hatch, but we are thrilled! I sure hope the other three make it. I haven't seen them yet but my mom says they are adorable.