chickens hatching duck eggs?

[blue90292]

my pekins have started laying and i have collected some eggs. they won't sit, i know, and my incubator is full of chicken eggs. i was wondering if anyone has used their chickens to hatch their duck eggs before. just curious since i'll be sticking them under my broody hen tonight.

 

[ChickenToes]

I read somewhere (and someone please correct me if I am wrong) that because duck eggs take longer to hatch, chickens will sometimes get tired of sitting on them and will leave them.

 

[bumblebeehillschickenfarm]

My marans hen is setting on 15 muscovey eggs right now and has been for a week and a half. But the eggs were started in the bator first they are do to hatch sept 3 so she wont be setting to long.

 

[blue90292]

Quote:
wow, that's in 5 days! please let me know how it goes. my OE hens go broody all the time and they are like my silkies. they'll stay put forever. she's actually sitting on air right now and sqwacks if anything goes near her. i picked her up and asked her, "do you realize you're sitting on air?" :|

 

[the1much]

i have a couple peafowl,, and am hoping 1 og my hens goes broody,, so she can sit on them.alot of the big peafowl farms say that they start the eggs under the chickens for a week,, then put them in bator.,, and ive heard some say they have had total hatch's under a chicken.

 

[deerman]

Oh yes most broody hen will set longer than the 28 days. Have them hatch Duck,geese,peafowl,and turkey eggs. These all take 28 days. Really funny to watch a hen trying to get the duckings out of the water. Running up and down the bank calling them.

Warning dont set chicken eggs under a waterfowl , she will take them into the water.

 

[megshenhut]

Yes, I agree with Deerman. Your chickens will hatch out ducks just fine. But mommy hen gets a little frustrated when she can't coax the babies to jump up on the roost!

 

[dragonshiner]

I have successfully hatched guinea eggs under my hens repeatedly. I don't see why you can't do the same for duck eggs.

 

[Dipsy Doodle Doo]

Hi!
The girls in my Frizzle pen (Cochins and Cochin x Silkie crosses) hatched around a hundred ducklings over last winter and spring.
I hand-raised all the ducklings, but the girls did the incubating part

Good luck!
Lisa

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

They will sit on them. But since ducks need higher humidity you would need to go out to her every day or every other day with a spray bottle that mists filled with warm water and mist the egg to keep the humidity up. Also, 3 days before the hatch I would take a new clean sponge and dip it in warm water and put it under her to keep the humidity up. If you dont mist the egg, it wont hatch.