Duck eggs under chickens

MotherHENdo

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My chook (Lucille) has become clucky (yay!) and she just had her first birthday last week :) I'm wanting to put some fertile duck eggs under her. Has anyone done this before? Will she look after them when they hatch? I've hatched ducklings in an incubator before back when the girls were about 4-5 months old. I planned on keeping 2 of the ducklings but when I put them out with the chooks they pecked them til they got sores
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Will it be different if she hatches them herself, like will she get maternal instincts? Were they just too young when I put the ducklings with them last time? Even if Lucille does protect them, will Portia (my other chook) try to peck them? Portia is top of the pecking line by the way... Also how many eggs should I put under her?
Sorry for all the questions and thanks in advance!! X
 
My chook (Lucille) has become clucky (yay!) and she just had her first birthday last week :) I'm wanting to put some fertile duck eggs under her. Has anyone done this before? Will she look after them when they hatch? I've hatched ducklings in an incubator before back when the girls were about 4-5 months old. I planned on keeping 2 of the ducklings but when I put them out with the chooks they pecked them til they got sores
1f623.png
1f62d.png
Will it be different if she hatches them herself, like will she get maternal instincts? Were they just too young when I put the ducklings with them last time? Even if Lucille does protect them, will Portia (my other chook) try to peck them? Portia is top of the pecking line by the way... Also how many eggs should I put under her?
Sorry for all the questions and thanks in advance!! X


Most hens can hatch ducklings and raise them; just keep them away from ponds where the duckling will take off swimming as this really freaks out broody hens. Compare the size of the duck eggs with the size of the chicken"s eggs and go from there. If the eggs are similar size then the hen could brood 10-12 eggs. If the duck eggs are larger then it's a matter of figuring out how many of this is equal to how many of that. The rest that you asked I am unsure.Good luck.
 

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