Baby Duckie Question!!!!

[kysilkies]

Our female muscovy was sitting on 10 eggs, once they pipped we brought them in and let them hatch in the bator, all good there...We'd like to move the mom to an area she can take care of them in, will she reintegrate with them now since we took them before they hatched?...Anyone with any experience doing that?...

Here is a picture of the first to hatch!

 

[ejctm]

I can't answer your question, but I am sure someone more experienced will do so soon.

I wondered why you brought them in to the incubator when they pipped instead of leaving them in the nest with Mum?

 

[kysilkies]

In our inexperienced opinion, she built the nest in a place that was not secure from predators and if they were to walk off the edge, the chances of them getting hurt was great and impossible to get back in the nest...We may have been overprotective, but wanted to be safe than sorry...

 

[Wifezilla]

Bring a few out at night once they have settled down and see how she reacts.

 

[jrobertson]

the one thing i will say that i would have done was keep and eye on them and let mom hatch them . cause in my experience they do not leave mom. once they are all done hatching, and dry and she feels they are ready she will move them from the nest follow the leader style. i would have moved her and the ducklings at the same time after the hatch. duck imprint to a degree when they hatch. the likely hood of them her recognizing them or vice versa is unknown. but if i have free range ducks or guineas that are setting, i let them set until after hatch then i move all babies to the brooder. i do not let mom rear the young. just my personal preferance.

 

[kysilkies]

We live and learn, thank you for the info...

 

[cracking up]

Did you leave the unpipped eggs with her to keep her in the broody mood? My muscovy was a wonderful mother and has tried to take babies from my runners who are not such good moms but were great sitters. I would show them to her and see what she does.

That's a really cute baby.

 

[kysilkies]

Yes, I left the last one plus added 10 eggs from our khaki campbell that leaves them everywhere...Our silkies are also sitting on a few of the kahki eggs...

 

[cracking up]

I think you have a good chance she'll take them in.

 

[ejctm]

Do let us know how you got on and if they are all back with Mum or you are raising them yourself? Hope you manage to move her somewhere safe too.