Can/will chickens hatch duck eggs?

[craftymama86]

My MIL has ducks and one laid an egg but she said it seems to have been abandoned. The ducks are young and this is the first egg laid. Can it safely be put in with our chickens' eggs and if so will the chickens take to it ok when it hatches? We're not really sure what to do.

 

[Emmalion]

I've read stories on here about hens hatching duck eggs. Then said hen getting pissy when the little guy goes for a swim

 

[WVman]

Tell your friend to wait my ducks only lay one egg a day and she will not sit on them until she lays all of them in her clutch sometimes it's about 28

 

[craftymama86]

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[craftymama86]

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We've only found the one. Today we looked where the other one was laid but there wasn't another. If she starts to lay more, they'll be ok until she sits on them? I mean, they won't get too cold or anything? Overall the weather has been nice lately but at night it can still get a little nippy.

 

[WVman]

Mine are ok till she sits and that's what they do in the wild also. Sometimes if you take an egg she will lay somewhere else and also sometimes mine will cover them up with straw until she is ready to sit

 

[NanaLantana]

Years ago I had a broody banty hen, and I wanted some ducks. So I bought some fertile duck eggs, and put them under the poor dear. You know, chicken eggs take 21 days to hatch, duck eggs take 28 days! That poor banty sat there seemed like forever. She finally got her 'chicks', but was very distressed when they started swimming in the water bowl, and wouldn't listen when she called them! I think she became a little 'mental' after that experience.

But to answer your question, yes, chickens can hatch ducks.

 

[craftymama86]

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Lol, wow, poor thing. I would have thought duck eggs would take less time to hatch since they grow so fast from ducklings to adult ducks.


WVman: I agree 100%. I started doing a little research when my MIL's first ducks got a little bigger. I'm afraid that if the duck that laid the other egg laid anymore we may not have found them b/c they may be hidden, hehe. This is good to know... Although there's not much I can tell my MIL, she likes to believe what she wants if you know what I mean.

Thanks for the answers!