Has anyone had their hen raise a duckling?

[Chevalia's feathered farm]

I have a couple of Silkies who have hatched some ducks for me and they are wonderful mothers considering they are a chicken and the babies are ducks, but they do really well! I was wondering if anyone else has done this before?

 

[Kiki]

How cute!

 

[MustangChick]

My silkies hatched some Marans (full-size) and I never had any problems. Then I had a gold-laced wyandotte hatch some silkies - no problem, and those silkies roost at night. My friend has a duck that hatched some bantam chicks, and those little suckers swim. Your birds are more versatile than you'll ever know!

 

[drumstick diva]

Sure they will do well. The great thing about poultry is they don't nurse, and all the mothers can do is show them what to eat etc. Sometimes the chicken mama is appalled that her ducklings want to swim but, she gets used to it.

Your beautiful silkie is a true silkie mama. Did she hatch out that many duck eggs? I ask because silkies aren't very large even when they"pancake," to cover eggs.
They do have the will, and will find the way.

congratulations to you and silkie mama

 

[N F C]

I've only raised chickens but wanted to say hello! Love your mom & baby pics.

 

[Flufferes]

Oh my goodness that is the cutest thing ever

 

[Chevalia's feathered farm]

Oh my goodness that is the cutest thing ever

Thank you! It was so cute to watch her raise these little guys.

 

[Chevalia's feathered farm]

I've only raised chickens but wanted to say hello! Love your mom & baby pics.

Hello there!! And thank you!

 

[Chevalia's feathered farm]

Sure they will do well. The great thing about poultry is they don't nurse, and all the mothers can do is show them what to eat etc. Sometimes the chicken mama is appalled that her ducklings want to swim but, she gets used to it.

Your beautiful silkie is a true silkie mama. Did she hatch out that many duck eggs? I ask because silkies aren't very large even when they"pancake," to cover eggs.
They do have the will, and will find the way.

congratulations to you and silkie mama

Thank you! When the babies first discovered water, my hen freaked! She clucked and clucked telling them it was danger and to stop swimming but the ducks just looked at her seemingly to say "Why don't you come in?" LOL

 

[Chevalia's feathered farm]

Sure they will do well. The great thing about poultry is they don't nurse, and all the mothers can do is show them what to eat etc. Sometimes the chicken mama is appalled that her ducklings want to swim but, she gets used to it.

Your beautiful silkie is a true silkie mama. Did she hatch out that many duck eggs? I ask because silkies aren't very large even when they"pancake," to cover eggs.
They do have the will, and will find the way.

congratulations to you and silkie mama

Yes she hatched 5 ducklings herself I was surprised to see that she could sit on all of them and keep them equally warm, I kept an eye on her to see if I needed to rescue any eggs that were not under her but she did it and all turned out beautifully, before I had her starting laying on the duck eggs I found her sitting on 10 chicken eggs! Some were silkie eggs but still she could have done all 10 LOL. She is a great mom!