Ducklings and broody mom question?

[nao57]

So I wanted to get some input on this because its not something I've done before. Thank you ahead of time. Many of you are talented with agriculture and gardening. I'm just a student.

So...

My drake is sterile. Not sure how this happened. But he does still love the ladies. But his eggs always won't hatch. I've tried this many times. One of the hens really wants to be a mom and has been broody for awhile. She's been a few weeks trying to hatch a pile of eggs. But I already know the eggs are sterile. So I'm worried about how long she'll continue before she realizes that.

So... I'm wondering if its possible to just slip in some ducklings from a store or ordered from say Metzer farms or one of these other farms and just put them in her nest? Wouldn't this work if she's still broody? But also even if it does work, what's the best way to do it without her realizing they aren't hers? Or will it matter?

I also have to move her nest somehow so the drake doesn't get her babies... and I might just have to take him to be given away at that time.... but either way, I have an understanding that the more I disturb the harder it will be for the hen to not react or be disturbed away from being broody also. So that's why I thought I'd ask.

 

[DobieLover]

So... I'm wondering if its possible to just slip in some ducklings from a store or ordered from say Metzer farms or one of these other farms and just put them in her nest? Wouldn't this work if she's still broody?

Yes. The younger the ducklings, the better. Try to get ducklings no older than 4 days old.

Wouldn't this work if she's still broody? But also even if it does work, what's the best way to do it without her realizing they aren't hers?

Well after full dark, go out to her nest and remove the eggs then slip the ducklings under her. Be out there first thing before dawn to supervise.

I also have to move her nest somehow so the drake doesn't get her babies

I don't see why having the drake around would be an issue. When I had muscovies as a kid, the drakes never bothered the ducklings. In fact, we had an old drake named Barney who would "babysit" ducklings for the hens by swimming around the pond with them.

 

[Canadian Wind]

I've heard of others slipping in orphan or newly hatched chicks/ducklings, but never done it myself. That being said, I had a broody that got attacked by what I'm assuming was a rat. She was sharing the nest with another duck, so at least they were still being taken care of (I didn't know it at the time, but found out later that my own drake was also sterile).

I took her into the house and cared for her wounds, but she was really depressed. It just so happened that I brought home some four-week old ducklings the next day, and that perked her right up. She took to them immediately, and was their Momma for all intents and purposes.