Can a chicken incubate duck eggs?

[Ang]

I have a broody and I was wondering if she can successfully hatch out duck eggs. I would love to have some ducklings from my 3 ducks. But as you know, ducks aren't real broody. I was going to stick them in my incubator but thought I would let the broody do the work....if it will work.

 

[Sweetfolly]

Sure they can - lots of people have better luck hatching tiny little Call Ducks under broody hens than in incubators. I'm sure the same would go for any breed of duck.

What breed(s) are your ducks?

 

[Ang]

My girls are a Splash Swede, Rouen and Khaki Campbell. My boys are Rouen and a smaller mutt.

 

[deerman]

Yes been done for many years. Funny to watch mother hen, when the duckling go in water. She going crazy calling them.........to get them out.


Edit to add......Don't put chicken eggs under a duck, mother duck will take the chicks into the water......

 

[Ang]

Yippee!!!!

Now to crack a couple duck eggs to make sure they are fertile.

 

[Sweetfolly]

Well, I think you should give it a shot! Stick some eggs under that broody of yours (not too many of those big duck eggs though - my Campbells lay HUGE eggs) and see what happens!

I'd watch her towards the end though - since ducks take an extra week to hatch, you'll have to make sure she doesn't get bored and give up. And make sure she accepts the ducklings and doesn't peck them. For a chicken, hatching a duckling has to be like a human giving birth to a monkey.