Call Ducks baby help!

[MommaHen86]

So our Calls and Chickens share the same chicken coop.....We have noticed that the calls are nesting and laying eggs in the corner and am wondering being a newbie at this....If they do hatch them, Will the chickens bug them at all I know that when you introduce baby chickens in a already acclompished flock that the older ones tend to pick onthe babies or even kill them. Will it happen to the baby ducks too? Or will the mamas protect them enough? Please reply back..I know I will have awhile but Id like to move them into there own place if need be...But that would require some building so I need to know asap...Thank you!

 

[easttxchick]

I would absolutely set up a place for your ducklings separate from the chickens.
Just so you know, most Call hens make really awful broodies so she PROBABLY won't hatch the eggs,

 

[BeccaOH]

Last year toward season's end, I let my calls go broody. I had 2 on each nest. Out of around 20 eggs, I only got 2 babies. All other eggs either never started or died along the way. It was disappointing. I have MUCH better success with the incubator.

If you want to try it, I would separate the calls from the chickens.

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

I had a call last year hatch all 12 eggs she was on. It doesn't hurt to let them try to hatch their own eggs. Just know if they don't hatch most of them it is a common problem.

 

[seymojo536]

I use a couple of silkie hens for my hatching duties. I swear that those girls would sit on a pile of rocks till they hatch. Always take the babies after they dry off, it's not so much the older ones attack them(which they will do), but more to keep them from getting squashed.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Those who have hatched calls do you have words of wisdom for hatching calls with a bator. I about to set my first and hoping for good results.

 

[MommaHen86]

SO how often should the mamma be laying on the eggs...As far as I can tell they are both out of the coop all day and so maybe she lays on them at night? I have two girls and two drakes.....Hoping to get a few more girls for our other drake soon since the bigger one is always running him off....

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

curious to see this answer and know if they are like a broody hen and sit more than they are off the nest.

 

[BeccaOH]

Words of wisdom for hatching? I'm not a fussy hatcher. I prefer to hand turn all my waterfowl eggs, but the calls I have in the cabinet incubator seem to be developing fine so far. In all my hatching I've broken "rules" and been inconsistent, but I still tend to get good hatches.

For calls in particular, I hand turn 2-3 times a day. I will let the incubator cool off a bit while I turn eggs. I also spritz them once a day to up the humidity. My humidity ranges from 45-50% most of the time.

The wire shelf in my HovaBator got bent during a cleaning last year, so I got a smooth clean rock from my flowerbed (3 x 4 inches) washed it and put it in to hold the wire down flat so eggs wouldn't roll. I now use that rock in there all the time. It seems to help hold the temperature consistent. I also spritz it too as rock will hold some water.

If your call duck is off the nest all day, then I doubt that much development is taking place. Is she still building up her clutch? They will lay several eggs before seriously brooding.

 

[MommaHen86]

Well Heres the story....lol

We do the deep litter method all winter so last week we completely cleaned out the coop and came across a few green/blue eggs on the floor(my thinking was they were from our EE's).....SO upon further discussion with my husband he mentioned that it could be one of the ducks.... Didn't even register in my mind for whatever reason.lol....SO....We took two eggs off the floor the day we cleaned out then the following day my daughter collected two more off the floor while collecting chicken eggs(not knowing to leave them, shes 4)lol. So we took four and then we said okay lets leave them and see what happens....SO we came out today and there in this little perfectly round nest of the coop floor is three green/blue eggs! SO we will see...I only have two girl Calls.....How many eggs a day do they lay? Do they lay more then one? or is it possible that the two girls are laying them in the same nest.....Also Im not sure that they are laying on them in the day but its my guess since i work form 8-5 but when ever i go out to feed and water they are all outside as usual.

Is there a certain time that I should take them before they go bad? or how long does it take to hatch or??????

Sorry I have a million questions.... We've never had baby ducks or eggs from ducks for that matter, so....Any advice,help, or info would be great!