Duckling in brooder with chicks?

[tYarisdaprincess]

I incubated 6 duck eggs and only 1 hatched. My last batch didn't hatch at all. I have 8 chicks that are 1 week old. I tried to put the duckling in with them because it was lonely, but they keep pecking at his feet. Any suggestions? I don't want the duckling to be lonely, but I also don't want it's feet pecked. I found an article on here about keeping them in the brooder together, but I didn't see anything about this issue.

I would also like some insight about why mine aren't hatching. I put them in lockdown at day 23 and one hatched on day 24. Humidity was kept at 75% and temperature at 99.5%. By day 25 the eggs had dark spots on them so I knew they were not doing well. I candled them at day 23 and most had their beaks through to the air cell. Do you think they are just trying to hatch early and not getting enough air because no external pip? My first batch looked shrink wrapped. These ones weren't, but still dead. They were incubated at 65% humidity and 99.5-100 degrees the rest of the time.

 

[Miss Lydia]

If you can make a divider out of something see through so the duckling can still be with the chicks but they can’t peck those feet. I used a piece of scrap hardware cloth wrapped the edges with gorilla tape and used it as a divider when I had 2 week and newly hatched ducklings in the same brooder.

 

[DuckyDonna]

I incubated 6 duck eggs and only 1 hatched. My last batch didn't hatch at all. I have 8 chicks that are 1 week old. I tried to put the duckling in with them because it was lonely, but they keep pecking at his feet. Any suggestions? I don't want the duckling to be lonely, but I also don't want it's feet pecked. I found an article on here about keeping them in the brooder together, but I didn't see anything about this issue.

I would also like some insight about why mine aren't hatching. I put them in lockdown at day 23 and one hatched on day 24. Humidity was kept at 75% and temperature at 99.5%. By day 25 the eggs had dark spots on them so I knew they were not doing well. I candled them at day 23 and most had their beaks through to the air cell. Do you think they are just trying to hatch early and not getting enough air because no external pip? My first batch looked shrink wrapped. These ones weren't, but still dead. They were incubated at 65% humidity and 99.5-100 degrees the rest of the time.

You put them in lockdown way too early and with that high humidity they probably drowned. Here is the link to @WVduckchick's article on hatching which is very helpful.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/incubation-humidity.73386/

Final 3 days – Hatch time!
Three days before hatch date (day 18 for chickens, day 25 for ducks, etc.) humidity should be raised all at once. By this time, the chick is occupying much of the egg, and this dramatic increase in humidity helps to keep the membrane from drying out any further. It also triggers the chick’s instinct to move into position to break out. Hatching humidity can range from 60-75% most commonly, but this range can also vary for you. Candle 3 days prior to hatch date, and if your air cells are on the large side, it is safe to run a little higher humidity. If they are smaller, then running a little lower may be your preference.

 

[tYarisdaprincess]

You put them in lockdown way too early and with that high humidity they probably drowned. Here is the link to @WVduckchick's article on hatching which is very helpful.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/incubation-humidity.73386/

Final 3 days – Hatch time!
Three days before hatch date (day 18 for chickens, day 25 for ducks, etc.) humidity should be raised all at once. By this time, the chick is occupying much of the egg, and this dramatic increase in humidity helps to keep the membrane from drying out any further. It also triggers the chick’s instinct to move into position to break out. Hatching humidity can range from 60-75% most commonly, but this range can also vary for you. Candle 3 days prior to hatch date, and if your air cells are on the large side, it is safe to run a little higher humidity. If they are smaller, then running a little lower may be your preference.

Thank you. I only put them in lockdown because when I candled them they had their beaks through into the air cell already. Should I not do that? Two of them were peeping.

 

[Khaki mama]

Did you use an egg Turner for you duck eggs? Because duck eggs tend to be close to the heating element when using an egg turner just beacuse their so big. Also duck eggs tend to do better when their misted with warm water twice a day of incubation except lockdown. I hope you have better luck next time.

 

[tYarisdaprincess]

Did you use an egg Turner for you duck eggs? Because duck eggs tend to be close to the heating element when using an egg turner just beacuse their so big. Also duck eggs tend to do better when their misted with warm water twice a day of incubation except lockdown. I hope you have better luck next time.

I do use an auto turner. It seems to be a good distance from the heating element. I'll try misting them next time. Thank you.

 

[DuckyDonna]

Let's see what @WVduckchick has to say about this. She's very experienced in hatching and knows what she's talking about. It never occurred to me that you were using and egg turner and maybe that made a difference. IDK

 

[WVduckchick]

Trying to hatch that early, I would suspect the temperature is higher than you think. Search on ways to calibrate a thermometer. I also don’t like the first day’s humidity that high, but it depends on your circumstances.

I agree with Miss Lydia, try some type of separator where they can see each other but not pick at each other for a few days. Once they get used to each other, they should be fine.
But I would also look into finding another duckling. A duck will do better with others like itself. They are usually fine with chickens growing out, but even better with another duck or even a gosling.

 

[EverythingDucks]

For now I would keep them separate. Maybe just spend extra time with him/her too. You can put a mirror in there for him, just put it where he/she cant break it. I would also put in a fuzzy blanket or something as well.

 

[tYarisdaprincess]

Trying to hatch that early, I would suspect the temperature is higher than you think. Search on ways to calibrate a thermometer. I also don’t like the first day’s humidity that high, but it depends on your circumstances.

I agree with Miss Lydia, try some type of separator where they can see each other but not pick at each other for a few days. Once they get used to each other, they should be fine.
But I would also look into finding another duckling. A duck will do better with others like itself. They are usually fine with chickens growing out, but even better with another duck or even a gosling.

Thank you for the advice! I have two auxilliary thermometers in the incubator as I know mine is off. It's probably just a poor quality incubator. I purchased a Brinsea 56 Ovation, so hopefully that one works better for the next batch. It seems to be calibrated accurately. The area I live in is often humid so it is harder to regulate that.
I looked into finding another duckling and the ones I can find are around 2 weeks old at the youngest, and this one is 2 days old. Right now I have the duckling with a couple of guinea keets that hatched yesterday and that seems to be working. I haven't had much of an issue hatching chickens or guineas, just my ducks. This duckling will be with my 3 ducks when it is older.
Thank you again! I'm hoping the new incubator will solve some of these issues.