broody duck... needs to be moved...

[pluckinaround]

well here is my deal! I have two lovely ducks and a drake. They are almost a year old. I also have 15 chicken hens and two roosters. They all live together in a coop and have two yards to roam in!

well we noticed yesterday that the little runner duck has gone broody. And i have just finished the work on the "duck yard" and planned to move them this weekend. but I don't want to disturb her and I can't just move the two and leave her alone. but I do not know how the chickens will repsond to the ducklings.

I know if I move her now she won't sit on the new nest. Should I try and keep a close eye and move them as soon as the hatch? Could I just gather the ducklings and mama up and move or would that be tramatic on them? I am just wondering how tolerant the roosters will be!

Some of the egss she is sitting on are about 1 month old, what are the chance of them not hatching?

I was also wondering about sneaking a few chicken eggs out there say about 7 days after she began sitting... has anyone tried this? Would it work? Would that disturb her?

Thanks for the info!

 

[Quacking]

If the eggs are that old- it might be better to just move her and see what happens as the chance of an egg hatching starts to decrease from about one week. If she leaves the nest she will start to lay again and will be in the right yard to be sitting. If she is intent on sitting after being moved you could just put the chicken eggs under her and let her hatch them out.

 

[chickensioux]

I personally have never had luck moving a broody but heard it can and has been done. Move her at night, in the dark to the new location. It needs to be as safe feeling to her as the place she is in now. Also, I have had better luck with ducks under chickens than chickens under ducks. I have heard of chicks being killed by a mother duck. Good luck in your endeavor.

 

[DMSrabbit]

Quote:
I second this, just move her, those eggs WILL NOT HATCH. Fertility is pretty much gone after 2 weeks, however there is a person on here with a thread about hatching some month old chicken eggs, and i think he got maybe 4 out of 24 to develop. I don't think hes going to have much luck..

I personally wouldn't let any of my broodies or hens sit on those eggs. Move her, and as someone said, she will start laying again, but this time it will be in the right setting