Doing double broody?

[Beccazon]

So...2nd year with chickens and ducks. 1st time with broody hens of both. My year old runner, Digger, has been a diligent and text book sitter. On eggs that anyone hops in and lays for her. (I have allowed her 7. The new ones get pulled each day). About 2 weeks in, Latte (7 mos old runner/kc cross) decided she was going to help lol. They have sat together now for a week. I expect first hatch round the 4th of July.
So...how does this go at hatch?? Does Digger say, “thanx now step off”? Do they fight over babies and pick a team? Will ducklings be destroyed by one or both of them? Should I pull the eggs and incubate the last week? These two have me feeling kind of stupid I must say.

 

[Isaac 0]

So, it is a little tricky, because what you have here is a good example of a hatch that is going to likely be sporadic. Unless these are your only two hens, I wouldn't be surprised at all if other ducks have been laying on the nest, or eggs have been being fought over, rolled out, then start incubating again. I would probably candle all the eggs, mark them, and once some are close to hatching bring them inside, and hatch them yourself and return them to the duck. The reason I say hatch them inside is babies often get fought over between the mothers.

I would let them raise the babies just make sure to keep her separate from the other hen. Or just separate them now into their each on pen, and they could hatch.

 

[Miss Lydia]

What we need is a thread for tag team broodies Here is a thread already started that you can join up with. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/will-we-have-ducklings-on-the-farm.1390461/

 

[Beccazon]

Sweet! Rarely on anymore due to terrible service! So I didn’t search up where was best to put this LOL. But boy I am getting nervous lol. @Miss Lydia can you move this to that thread?

 

[Beccazon]

So, it is a little tricky, because what you have here is a good example of a hatch that is going to likely be sporadic. Unless these are your only two hens, I wouldn't be surprised at all if other ducks have been laying on the nest, or eggs have been being fought over, rolled out, then start incubating again. I would probably candle all the eggs, mark them, and once some are close to hatching bring them inside, and hatch them yourself and return them to the duck. The reason I say hatch them inside is babies often get fought over between the mothers.

I would let them raise the babies just make sure to keep her separate from the other hen. Or just separate them now into their each on pen, and they could hatch.

So they will actually take them back if I hatch them and give them to them? Any other time the birds do not like newcomers. And yes all of the eggs are candled and marked every day when they hop off for a quick breakfast. We are almost 3 weeks in and they all appear to be within a couple of days of each other. If anyone adds a new one to the nest, I remove it that morning as well. Basically the only have the ones that digger started in the beginning. Plus maybe another two that I let her keep the next day or so.

 

[Isaac 0]

So they will actually take them back if I hatch them and give them to them? Any other time the birds do not like newcomers. And yes all of the eggs are candled and marked every day when they hop off for a quick breakfast. We are almost 3 weeks in and they all appear to be within a couple of days of each other. If anyone adds a new one to the nest, I remove it that morning as well. Basically the only have the ones that digger started in the beginning. Plus maybe another two that I let her keep the next day or so.

In my experience, most of the time do.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sweet! Rarely on anymore due to terrible service! So I didn’t search up where was best to put this LOL. But boy I am getting nervous lol. @Miss Lydia can you move this to that thread?

I can’t but you can ask a mod if they will.

 

[3bird]

We are dealing with two moms right now (although one is already exhibiting signs of being a favorite aunt!). Here's our thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ings-on-the-farm.1390461/page-3#post-22833040

We are earlier in the process, but we're struggling with how to check our eggs, as the nest has only been left entirely unattended once since their started setting (that we saw). Stella, the favorite aunt) gets off the nest now every morning and evening for supervised free range time and then returns to the nest. Martha doesn't usually come out, even when Stella returns. Martha has come out about once a day (yesterday it was midday), but Stella stays on the nest. Any suggestions for how to get in their and check and mark the eggs?

We were static at five eggs for a couple days, but this morning there is a sixth. How are you marking the eggs? How important is it to put them back in exactly the same orientation? We have so many questions! lol

Anyway, keep us posted, and Good Luck!