Broody hen!...(?)

[DUCKGIRL89]

So, i had a little scare, and thought my rouens all ran away... So i looked all over the place EXCEPT the stream in the goat pasture. So, i found them. Then I decided to go look for their eggs, and found a nest of 3 large green eggs!!!! And very nice, tight nest too! The hen saw me going to her nest, and started running as fast as she could, and flopped on her nest before i got there.... Is this hen broody??? I just dont want her to sit, and give up when she gets bord of it.... Any advice?

Thanks in advance!

Madison

 

[Lovely Emily]

Hi, Madison,
Rouens are apparently neglegent mothers in general, but you really should never take someone else's word for it. Different strains perform differently, and individuals perform differently. The only way to really know is to get to know your birds very well. Then you have a reliable bearing. If you want to hatch rouens and you need eggs from that duck, I would advise breaking her up. If eggs from her are not important, try letting her brood; if she's successful, you then know you can use her for brooding purposes and that means less electricity! My Rouen hen is an idiot when it comes to making nests.

Emily

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

She tried going broody during the winter, i didn't let her though, i was afraid the babies would die... Her buddy (khaki campbell hen) Was trying to help her "brood" the eggs.... they were upset when i took the eggs away...

I have already collected eggs from them to incubate. I have 11 in the bator, i was gonna set a few more, but i would rather test out her skills, she what shes got If i can, i want to slip some ducklings under her, and take her instead of her brooding eggs, but whatever happens, happens.

 

[Lovely Emily]

Good plan. A mother duck is far better than a mother Bator, or even a mother hen, for one simple reason ~ she's a duck. She is made to raise ducklings (if she's broody). When ducks get of the nest to go for a swim/dabble and allow the eggs to cool during brooding, and come back, the moisture in there feathers is essential for hatching. Hens don't have this (being terrestrial chickens), and incubators can only mimic this. Hens can't truely communicate with ducklings, but it seems like the hatchlings learn 'commands' (like a dog. We don't communicate with dogs, but they learn things). Ducks can talk to ducklings, and therefore give them explicit instructions as to how to live there lives. I would recommend trying to use a duck for duckling-making. If you can't, that's okay, but any other way to get ducklings isn't quite the same.

Emily

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

If i could, i would use a hen for every hatch. I hate raiseing ducklings! Their soooo messy! Very cute though... I like hatching, thats my favorite part... I don't like m room smelling like poop for 3 weeks straight though lol. Lets just hope she goes broody, and hatches some cuties for me

 

[Lovely Emily]

I hope she does! I have an Orpington duck who's been laying an egg every 2 days for a while. She's showing the same signs of broodiness as hens do, except she, like most broody ducks, is burying her eggs in warm material while she's still collecting her clutch and not ready to set yet.