Duck Brooding Mixed Eggs

[ihatedarkroast]

One of my ducks has gone broody on a nest containing both chicken and duck eggs. This hasn't happened before at my house. What can I expect? I know they hatch at different times. I suppose St. Patty's is the first day we can expect chicks. As an added problem, my chicken eggs are usually mostly infertile as my flock is getting up there in years. Last couple years the hatch rate was like 2 out of 6 eggs. I'm concerned that in a couple weeks, there might be some stink bombs in there. My husband did cordon her off in the coop so the chickens will hopefully stop laying eggs under her. I have an empty small coop I was using for a rabbit hutch last year. Should I move her and her nest to the hutch where she can be in peace? Or will she beat me up and run away off the nest? My husband is scared to move her because she fluffed up and attacked him when he tried to check the eggs today. If I wear a sturdy long sleeved coat, I bet I can do it.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

Moving nests doesn’t seem to work. As for your mixed nest, after the first babies hatch she will most likely abandon the nest, she will not wait the extra week for the ducklings. So, if possible, I would try to candle all the eggs now and see if you can tell how far along they are in development. You may be able to seperate the duck from chicken eggs and only keep what you want. If you want both, I suggest you get an incubator for the later hatchers for when she abandons them or put the chicken eggs in it. She will not care for those that hatch in the incubator. She should kick out of the nest any bad eggs, so exploding eggs shouldn’t be a problem.

 

[ihatedarkroast]

So I checked under the duck a few days ago. The chicken eggs are gone! Idk if she kicked them out or ate them. But there is only a single lonely duck egg under there now. And she has built up her nest into a huge pyramid of feathers. And it wasn't hard to get under her at all. She was very growly, but not as fast as a chicken at attacking. XD I fenced her off in her corner of the coop a little better so she has privacy. I'm just going to let her hatch her one baby and then move them to the rabbit hutch after it comes out.

 

[2cool4school]

So I checked under the duck a few days ago. The chicken eggs are gone! Idk if she kicked them out or ate them. But there is only a single lonely duck egg under there now. And she has built up her nest into a huge pyramid of feathers. And it wasn't hard to get under her at all. She was very growly, but not as fast as a chicken at attacking. XD I fenced her off in her corner of the coop a little better so she has privacy. I'm just going to let her hatch her one baby and then move them to the rabbit hutch after it comes out.

Sounds like somethings eating / stealing your eggs. What breed is your broody duck?