duckling intervention, help !!

[emjay]

I have this posted in ducks too, but, needing help quickly

stupid me didn't plan things as I should have, the joys of working full time and not having a brain from being tired from 5am shifts.

I have two ducks on the same nest, on a large clutch of eggs, I peeked in today, about 11 have hatched. However. 8 of them have jumped ship, and are now in the empty nest beside mamas nest. and are now trapped in there, as it's too high for them to get back out.
so now they are all huddled together, with neither mama too interested in sitting with them to keep them warm, but rather they have chose the unhatched eggs.

I am at a loss , as I don't want to grab them out right now, as I don't want to stress mama to the point where she stomps on the babies and eggs she is on.
The way my duck hutch is designed, I have to open the top to clean it, it is not a walk in style house.
The ducklings are in the far nest, so for me to grab them, I would have to put my face right beside mama duck, and i'm pretty sure when she sees me grabbing babies she's going to freak.

so, are ducks like chickens where dusk would be the best time to grab them out, do ducks go dopey at night?
I am obviously going to have to take them out completely and put them in a brooder.

any suggestions for me the idiot??

 

[emjay]

dusk is fast approaching, anyone ????

 

[Anianna]

I'm sorry, I have no experience with ducks. I think, without an answer from somebody knowledgeable, I would try to tuck them under momma while she sleeps. If one is laying on the eggs, what is the other one doing? Are they both sitting in the same box? Is there anyway to block the ducklings in to keep them from leaving the nest?

 

[PDurkin]

Yes dawn is the best time to do it. Good luck

 

[emjay]

well, I went down there once fairly dark and moved the one broody hen onto the babies, she nestled on them.
My daughter was quite mad at me, she wanted me to take them inside the house, but, that is not how mother nature intended. It's dark in there now, the mama ain't going anywhere, I will check again in the morning.