I have a Welch Harlequin duck ‘Lovey’ sitting on four eggs about to hatch. She currently shares her run with an older Indian Runner duck and a two month old male Indian Runner who she was a foster mom to. Lovey is an amazingly calm and friendly duck and has been having a surprising calming effect on the two runners sharing her run. BUT, the young runner is still terribly attached to her and needs to be constantly at her side. The hatching eggs were abandoned by their Runner Duck mom and out of desperation I but them under Lovey who had gone broody (but with nothing to hatch). She has been incredibly attentive to these ‘foster’ eggs and I see that one has pipped. Will the new ducklings be safe with the other two ducks, or will I need to separate them? I know - it’s complicated. I’ve hatched ducklings in with other adult ducks before, including a drake or two, without problems, but these three seem so bonded, that I worry they might be jealous of the ducklings. I could put the two in with my other Runners, but their current calmer dispositions will be gone in a heartbeat.
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