Chicken hatching Duck Eggs **THEY HATCHED!!!**

[hippiehen]

YourLinkGoesHere I have a broody partridge rock hen sitting on eight chicken eggs and four duck eggs - the chickens are due to hatch on the 17th but I know the ducks won't be expected for 7 more days... what are the odds she's going to keep on brooding? If she gets off them is there anything I can to do keep them going (I don't have an incubator)? I candled them and they are all growing!! I wasn't really thinking ahead when I stuck them in there!!

UPDATE!
They hatched yesterday!! I can't believe it! She hatched out two chicks nearly a week ago and hasn't really been sitting on the eggs but I opened the brooder house door yesterday and guess what! A little yellow duckie was sitting there looking at me! The hen was completely freaked out by the wiggly duckling so I took it and set it under the brood lamp in my house. I completely shut up the brood house to fool the hen into thinking it was night so she would set and lo-and-behold two hours later I have three more duckies! I'm sooooo excited! Two are straight magpies and two are khaki campbell/mapgie crosses! The yellow one is a cross, and you can't really tell but it has dark markings - I think it's going to be a tan and white magpie! The other one is mostly black and white but has some brown marking on the face!

 

[Lollipop]

hip, the only thing you can do is remove the chicks as soon as they are dry and brood them artificially. If you leave them with the hen she will leave the nest with the chicks, usually on their second day. Any unhatched eggs will be abandoned. After the ducklings hatch she may accept the chicks back, if you place them under her at night. Be sure to be there when she wakes up in the morning, in case she rejects them. Good luck.......Pop

 

[hippiehen]

What if I took the eggs from her and finished them out in a bator? I have a friend who will let me borrow her little one if it would work.

If not, I'm already brooding 30 chicks that arrived monday - would the age difference be ok if I stuck the new babies in with the older chicks? I have them in two seperate brooders, one has my wyandottes and the other has eight bantams so there's TONS of room - I could put them in there.

That is, IF they hatch!!

This is my first time with a broody hen!

 

[hippiehen]

Anyone? I don't want to lose my little ducklings!!

 

[Laura78]

I'd do like the other poster and let her hatch the chicks out then take them from her and have her hatch the ducklings out. Even if she doesn't take the chicks back you can easily raise them in a brooder, much easier than trying to hatch eggs out in a bator for the first time. The temps are hard to get down when you first set it up.

 

[jvls1942]

I agree, take the chicks and leave the cluck with the duck eggs..

It is too late in the game to start messing with a bator.. especially one that you are not familiar with..

you could try taking all the ducks and replacing them with a couple of chicks..

but you know, you will not get any eggs from that hen for at least 8 weeks if you leave babies with her.

 

[hippiehen]

Ok, I'll take the chickies away and let her raise the ducks! I hope it works!!!!!! I'll let yall know how it goes

 

[hippiehen]

THEY HATCHED!!!

LOOK AT THE TOP POST!

 

[LoveMyBirds]

Quote:
Yes, you can finish them in an incubator. I just hatched 2 out of 4 cold eggs that a little red hen left.. (my goof on causing that)

I don't know about your chicken, but my hens will take in baby chicks.. You have to watch because I've heard some hens will kill them..

These 2 little ones verses the older ones which are about 2 -3 weeks now.. I'm a little leary of trying to add them to the group..

But if you have a momma, that is hatching / hatched then I'd try to see if she would accept them.. Because momma is bug hunting, scratching continuously.. etc.. Which makes for better growing chickens in my opinion.

Oh,, I do free range mine..

 

[jBlaze]

Congratulations!!