Broody duck

[andreagran7]

She came out so I checked and she was sitting on 3 chicken and 1 duck egg. I removed the chicken eggs and left the duck but she hasn’t gone back, in so false alarm I presume?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Maybe, she may just keep laying till she gets the amount she wants to sit too. Hard to say with silly ducks.

 

[chickens really]

They do leave the nest for up to two hours sometimes. They need to eat and poop. Did she have the eggs covered when she left?

 

[andreagran7]

Yes they were all covered, I think she may have gone back in this evening.
Hopefully she’ll keep laying and sitting.
Sillly question but if they only lay 1 per day, would they all hatch 1 day apart?

They do leave the nest for up to two hours sometimes. They need to eat and poop. Did she have the eggs covered when she left?

 

[chickens really]

Yes they were all covered, I think she may have gone back in this evening.
Hopefully she’ll keep laying and sitting.
Sillly question but if they only lay 1 per day, would they all hatch 1 day apart?

No..They lay a clutch and then they hatch within two days apart.

 

[andreagran7]

No..They lay a clutch and then they hatch within two days apart.

Ahh thank you, is leaving the eggs covered a good sign?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes!

 

[Kkrista123]

If she's covering them, she believes they are her fertile babies so yes, good thing!!

 

[andreagran7]

Thanks for the advice everyone it looks like she is doing great and I now have another who is starting to sit
New question...I have 5 chickens who share the space quite well but I have seen how they can bully the ducks and any new chickens I introduce.
Should I separate the mums and ducklings from the chickens when they arrive?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes you want to let moms and duckling have their own space for at least 3 weeks and if the free range that will even be better when the duckling hit 3 weeks they will be able to stay out of the way of any bully chickens.