Guinea fowl, chickens, and ducks

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bosschris

bosschris

In the Brooder
Sep 21, 2016
10
0
14
Hello I am Chris and new to this site. I have lots of birds and love spending my days with my animals. I have had chickens before but I am new to ducks and Guineas. So that resents me with a question. I have a Pekin duck that started laying eggs and got upset when I removed the first one to the point she had all the other 5 ducks looking for the egg. Quite the noise they made, so I put it back and she then she laid about 10 more and I started finding her sitting on the nest. So I fenced off part of the coop for her and her best. Then to my amazement a silkie bantam stated hanging out with her and putting her eggs in the nest. I am finding that they are taking turns sitting on the nest of chicken and duck eggs. About twenty in total. Do I have any chance of the eggs hatching? I candled yesterday and from what I can tell I have chicks and ducks at various stages of grow. I marked them so I could pull any new eggs cause now a second silky has joined in. Any advice?
 
Welcome to BYC! It's great to have you.

I would have two concerns about this situation:

1. If the eggs hatch at different times, one of two things is likely to happen. Either the mother takes the first hatchlings and abandons the nest, letting the other eggs die, or she stays on the nest waiting for the other eggs to hatch, letting the oldest chicks starve. Option one is much more likely but option two can happen. It's not ideal and if she refused to abandon the nest after some chicks have hatched, you'll need to either take the hatchlings from her or remove the younger eggs.

2. Ducklings can be raised by a chicken, but chicks should not be raised be a duck. She is likely to try to lead them into water, resulting in the chicks chilling and/or drowning.
 
Is it possible that since I have two different birds sitting on the nest that one would still sit after the initial hatch?
 
I have about 20 eggs in there. I marked them so I could pull any new ones. I have about 6 duck eggs that haven't been kicked out and 14 chicken eggs. It is the weirdest thing I have ever seen. If the duck is sitting the hens eat and sit around the enclosed area and as soon as the duck gets up to eat or potty one of the hens turns and sits on the eggs. When the duck wants back on the chickens move. I haven't ever seen or heard of co-nesting if you will. There is not assess to swimming water in the enclosure. The duck allows me to pick her up once in the evening so she can swim and do her thing other than that she doesn't want to be handled.
 
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Welcome to Backyard Chickens. Gotta LOVE silkies
love.gif
. They are often considered the best broody hens. In fact sometimes a silkie roo will sit on the eggs while mama takes a break to eat, etc. I agree with Queen Misha's hatching scenario. I am wondering though if after hatch, the ducklings will stay with their duck mother, and the chicks with the silkies.

I think ducks hatch around 28 days and chickens around 21, so things will be happening soon. Please update us and let us know if you need assistance.
 
Welcome to Backyard Chickens!! I might suggest setting up a brooder for them and as they hatch, taking them out and putting them in the brooder, once the final babies are hatched, slip the oldest ones under at nighttime so that they either have all eggs at once, or all babies at once, but never both at the same time. I am not expert on broodies though, so I am not the best person to ask.:/ Good luck with them, and it will be interesting seeing how this turns out!
 

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