Chicken raising ducklings....

[gickelvolk]

Our Black Copper Marans hen, Mildred, is really a broody girl. In April Mildred went broody again, so this time my wife put a couple of our ducks eggs under her rump.

We have 3 Blue Swedish duck hens and a Blue Swedish Drake (Lars, Mona, Tilly, & Edna). The hens lay an egg every day. Here are the parents:



My wife was putting the hens away for the night when she heard peeping from the nesting box Mildred was using in the coop..... After some ruckus and carrying
we got the hen and her new babies into a brooder tank we have.

After 29 days here is the result:

Day 1 -

Mildred and duckling




Both little ones


Trying to figure it all out....




A couple days later... one on Mama and the other in hiding under Mama...


She really took to being Big-Mama.....

First big "All day" outing in an enclosed garden area in June:




The ducklings are now 2 months old and have grown quite a bit but still seek out mama when they get insecure....

I'll provide more pics as I get them processed.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Those are darling photos. I had Blue Swedish ducks, and in all the years I had them, they never went broody once. So it does seem that a broody chicken does a good job hatching and raising ducks.

 

[b.hromada]

How cute is that?! I'm in love!!! That is just the most precious thing. Thanks for the pics, it put a huge smile on my face and happiness in my heart.