Brooding duck hatched chicken eggs

[Chickycammy]

I have a very broody duck that will lay on anything. Well, I left her alone with her nest full and figured I'd give her a shot at hatching them. I didn't pay much attention to the eggs, not candling or checking them as I figured they'd hatch or die as I've been incubating eggs myself.

Well as to why she hatched chickens is I'm guessing the ones I had in there laid in her house. They were all moved out last week to new coops/runs.

This morning I went to feed everyone and heard peeping. I got so excited that maybe she hatched out her ducklings but were shocked to find chickens! I took them away because they're so small and she's well over 20 pounds and I was scared she'd hurt them or the other ducks would.

I'm shocked but I feel lucky as I had a last egg hatch the 26th with no playmates and now that one has 4 friends.

 

[The Moonshiner]

A broody is broody. They'll hatch whatever eggs are available.
I've had ducks hatch chicks many times. Gotta be careful if you let them raise them because a momma duck will take chicks into water and they'll drown.
On the other side I've had chickens hatch ducklings. When it rains the ducklings would play in the puddles and the hen would run around panicking about her babies being in the water.
Two years ago I had a cochin bantam hatch a bunch of baby mallards and at the time I was incubating mallards so I kept adding them to her brood. She ended up with 40 something ducklings and raised them all. Quite the sight seeing her lead a string of ducklings a mile long around the yard.

 

[Chickycammy]

A broody is broody. They'll hatch whatever eggs are available.
I've had ducks hatch chicks many times. Gotta be careful if you let them raise them because a momma duck will take chicks into water and they'll drown.
On the other side I've had chickens hatch ducklings. When it rains the ducklings would play in the puddles and the hen would run around panicking about her babies being in the water.
Two years ago I had a cochin bantam hatch a bunch of baby mallards and at the time I was incubating mallards so I kept adding them to her brood. She ended up with 40 something ducklings and raised them all. Quite the sight seeing her lead a string of ducklings a mile long around the yard.

That's so cute!

Yeah, I was worried about her and the other ducks stepping on them so they're in the brooder in the house with the other baby I incubated.