I currently have five ducks (two pekins [one is a drake], two rouens, one mallard). We decided we wanted a few more when spring came, but instead of buying them I thought it would be fun to hatch them ourselves. I borrowed an incubator from our neighbor who used to raise chickens and put 10 eggs in it. Because it's my first time using one (and our neighbor said she was unsuccessful the first couple of times), my backup plan was to stop collecting our mallard's eggs and see if she would go broody...and she did. I got lucky with seven of the ten original eggs and I expect them to hatch this weekend and I'm estimating our hen's to hatch about a week later. Here's my question: when our hen's eggs hatch should I collect the ducklings and put them in the brooder or let them stay with her? I'm worried about how to feed them separately from the other ducks and whether the other ducks would hurt them. I don't have them penned up, they free range 24/7. The ones we don't keep we plan to sell. I'm thinking it will be easier to take them from her and raise them with the bator babies, but my husband thinks we should let her take care of them. I appreciate any advice!
