This may be a dumb question to more experienced chicken owners but this is my first spring with broody hens. A week ago my duck Daisy began nesting but 4 days ago I saw her out in the field and didn't go back to her nest and that night she ignored her nest and slept with the other ducks so I went to rescue the eggs but my Orpington hen was already sitting there. I left her be and she's stayed there all 4 days. My question is can a hen hatch and raise ducklings?
It's probable they could, I've heard stories they could. I would say this would be an experiment and if everything goes wrong you can just put them in a brooder.
Maybe but Daisy has done this before even before I got chickens she'll just abandon her eggs for no reason after a day or so. The orp Goldie didn't sit on the nest until well after dark Daisy hadn't been near it since about 6am
