Chicken and duck eggs in same nest

[mrs3rrl]

We have both chickens and ducks. Recently, I've found chicken eggs in the nest that the duck made. I usually gather the eggs and don't let the hen(s) sit on them, but we HAVE in the past allowed that, for both the chickens and the ducks. So, my question is.....

Has anyone ever had it happen that a hen (either chicken or duck) gets broody and hatches both chicks and ducklings? OMG - do they all think they are the same? If a duck hatches them, is she going to try to get the chick to go in the water with the ducklings (and I know it can't swim, so it would drown).

 

[sourland]

What will probably happen is that the chicks will hatch and then the setting bird chicken/or duck will leave the nest within 36 hours. I have had chicken hens successfully raise ducklings, but ducks get wet and chill and step on chicks with their webbed feet.

 

[Willow2253]

If you set both kinds of eggs at the same time, the chicks would hatch first and the mom would abandon the duck eggs, because they take longer to hatch. If you did want them to hatch at the same time, you’d need to start the chicken eggs 7 days after the duck eggs.