Can you trick a mama Muscovy into raising someone elses ducklings?

[zeberman]

Hi everyone! Needing some advice on broody ducks. I have 2 newly (first time) laying Muscovy hens. They each picked a spot for their nest and have been laying every day. We have no drake, so we are just taking a few eggs at a time for eating, and leaving the rest so they will keep on laying. However, now one hen has gone broody and will hardly leave the nest at all except for a quick bath and a poop and to eat some food. the other hen is still out and about pretty much all day, except to lay and egg in her nest in the morning. Now here's the thing, I am ordering about 20 ducklings that are set to arrive here at the beginning of May, and I want my two hens to raise them as their own. Does it make sense to let my hen sit on her eggs and then just take them out and replace them with the day old ducklings when they arrive? Would that work? Will she know the ducklings aren't hers and reject them? Any advice would be great! otherwise I feel like I should remove her nest so she stops sitting on the eggs in vain. Thanks!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi everyone! Needing some advice on broody ducks. I have 2 newly (first time) laying Muscovy hens. They each picked a spot for their nest and have been laying every day. We have no drake, so we are just taking a few eggs at a time for eating, and leaving the rest so they will keep on laying. However, now one hen has gone broody and will hardly leave the nest at all except for a quick bath and a poop and to eat some food. the other hen is still out and about pretty much all day, except to lay and egg in her nest in the morning. Now here's the thing, I am ordering about 20 ducklings that are set to arrive here at the beginning of May, and I want my two hens to raise them as their own. Does it make sense to let my hen sit on her eggs and then just take them out and replace them with the day old ducklings when they arrive? Would that work? Will she know the ducklings aren't hers and reject them? Any advice would be great! otherwise I feel like I should remove her nest so she stops sitting on the eggs in vain. Thanks!

It's not an easy answer, some mama take to anything some won't. We are following a thread about that now, Yuo can only try and hopefully she will accept them simular to how mama hens will accept day old chicks. I'd take the ducklings out after dark and keep it as dark as you can take out the old eggs, and with your hand over top of the ducklings put them under her and then stay close and hope for the best. I'll get the thread for you so you can follow along too. https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/764150/my-duck-adoptions-long-pic-heavy/10#post_10888662

 

[jdywntr]

I think it depends. I had an abandoned single hatchling find it's own foster mom with a hen that was still setting. It's about 1 week older than her babies. I tried to get a muscovy hen to take on some more babies (I got some Pekin) that were about the age of hers, 1 week. She wanted no part of it.

I think its harder with ducks as they don't "sleep" the way that chickens do. I mean a chicken won't budge at night. My ducks respond if they hear me outside after dark. You can try ML advice its what I would also suggest but be prepared to brood them yourself. Also, if they've never had ducklings before they may not be good moms, even if they hatched their own.