Egg donor

[MuranoFarms]

Why is it that my duck keep donating eggs to the broody hen?

No matter what nest I move that little silkie and her eggs, the khaki campbell sits on her head every morning and gives her an egg!

Any idea of how I can stop her? She has to be heavy! lol

 

[Dances with Ducks]

LOL!! What an image!!
Ducks do like to share nests, but usually they are sharing with more compatible sizes. I don't know what I would do except provide some sort of separation. Can the silkie get into a nest that is too high for the duck?

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Smart duck! many people use silkies to hatch other's eggs.

 

[kingpincray]

should get us a picture of the duck sitting on her...

umm...keep the silkie in a brooding pen??

 

[MuranoFarms]

Quote:
I should try to get a picture! I only caught her once.....she's usually done by 7 am when I open the coop. That egg is there every day though lol

Unfortunately, I'm out of space right now. When I had 2 silkies sitting, the duck would give it to the one in the back of the coop. So after hers hatched I moved them to a small pen in the coop and at first the duck laid in the empty nest. Then she found the other silkie still sitting and started giving her the eggs. lol I had a BCM hen hatch eggs at the same time....so she's in a pen on the coop floor too. I just don't have more room. I'm afraid if I move the silkie up to the 'normal' nest boxes she'll give up. Or get up to eat and forget where they are.

 

[sourland]

Perhaps she had a transfusion of Cuckoo or cowbird blood. They are big on allowing other birds to raise their young.