Chicken on duck eggs??

[mhegge]

My muscovy girl started laying again this year and sitting in the box in the coop at night (she rarely comes in at night so I took it as a good sign). She is laying an egg a day and I was assuming she was building up her nest. Well, I have a flighty chicken hen (she never really committed to sitting last year) that has been sitting on those eggs during the day unless kicked off by another hen to lay. My duck still sits on them at night and seems more than happy to let someone else mind the eggs during the day. But now I have 5 duck eggs that have been off and on sat on for 5 days depending on what day laid and a hen that thinks she needs duck eggs. What do I do? Move the hen and those 5 eggs I side and let her hatch them? Will my duck kick her off when she thinks she has enough eggs to sit? What about a staggered hatch now? I just had two hens hatch out 8 chicks in the last week, but they were our first ones and I had moved them into the house to avoid confusion and contagious broodiness which we had last year and resulted in zero successful hatches, so I am new to this.

 

[PirateGirl]

Mark the eggs you want to hatch and steal the rest. If it's too staggered it could be a disaster. Also if you candle them, the development you see should be about the same in all the eggs. I have a chicken sitting on duck eggs now 3 weeks in, due to hatch Tuesday! I wonder if your muscovy is really interested in setting or if that's just her favorite spot in the coop. Where did she normally spend the night prior to this? If the chicken is committed to sitting, maybe you need to block her off with this nest so the muscovy (and no one else) can disturb her or add/steal eggs and muddy the waters.

 

[mhegge]

Mark the eggs you want to hatch and steal the rest. If it's too staggered it could be a disaster. Also if you candle them, the development you see should be about the same in all the eggs. I have a chicken sitting on duck eggs now 3 weeks in, due to hatch Tuesday! I wonder if your muscovy is really interested in setting or if that's just her favorite spot in the coop. Where did she normally spend the night prior to this? If the chicken is committed to sitting, maybe you need to block her off with this nest so the muscovy (and no one else) can disturb her or add/steal eggs and muddy the waters.

My muscovy would sleep on the coop floor by her mate, if she came in at all, and has never been in one of the boxes ever. She is very independent. She has been hanging close to the coop and spending less time on the pond where she would usually spend all day. This is my first experience with a muscovy and nesting so I have no clue what to expect and any help is appreciated! I could bring that hen in with the duck eggs for sure, and she would sit because she would have no distractions. My muscovy is sitting on them every night and sometimes during the day. I don't know if she is committed and utilizing the chickens, if she is flighty or if she is building up a nest and will become very possessive. I just don't want to jeopardize anything.

 

[PirateGirl]

Personally I think having two birds sitting on one clutch may be risky. As you said, it’s hard to tell how committed either one really is. My broody will not leave her nest ever and she has a bloody comb (chicken broody) from trying to keep others out of it. If your chicken is not 100% committed and neither is the Muscovy, it’s hard to say whether or not the eggs are even getting proper incubation with their current arrangement. If you want to hatch them maybe separating the nest with the girl you think will do best is the way to go.

 

[mhegge]

I'm going to candle them and make a decision today. We leave for a vacation in a few days and the birds will be cooped (normally pastured), so I think one of the two would sit. I might bring the hen in with duck eggs though. Is it normal duck behavior to lay one egg each day and build up their clutch before sitting? I don't even know what their normal nesting behavior looks like.

 

[PirateGirl]

I'm going to candle them and make a decision today. We leave for a vacation in a few days and the birds will be cooped (normally pastured), so I think one of the two would sit. I might bring the hen in with duck eggs though. Is it normal duck behavior to lay one egg each day and build up their clutch before sitting? I don't even know what their normal nesting behavior looks like.

Yes. It's normal for ducks to lay an egg a day until the have "enough" whatever that number is for her. Once they are seriously broody they no longer lay.

 

[mhegge]

Good news. I candled the eggs and see zero development so they must not be sitting on them as much as I thought they were. I also saw a few white feathers in the box so I think she might be starting to get it ready more. There are 7 eggs in there now. But, we leave on vacation on Sunday and they will be cooped (and checked on) for a week. I'm thinking that if she hasn't truly begun sitting, maybe I should take the eggs out?? If she isn't going to sit, I don't want to let the eggs go bad. I could also take them and her and put them in a kennel for her to be secluded with. I want ducklings but don't want to do something stressful or detrimental to my girl. Any advice on that?

 

[mhegge]

And I am assuming they are fertile since I see her being mated almost daily.