Hatching ducks under Duck hen

[mountainsnbooks]

Hello all!

I am fairly new to duck keeping, and I allowed a momma to get a clutch of eggs and start laying on them. The problem is I realized the other hens are laying in her clutch when she is gone, and I now have 2 almost ready to hatch duck eggs and 15 egg of various stages nowhere near hatching. What can I do to keep all the eggs well once the babies hatch? Will mom keep sitting on the eggs? help is needed! Thank you!

 

[sourland]

She is biologically programmed to leave the nest around 36 hours after the first duckling hatches. You can try removing the ducklings as they hatch or you might buy/borrow an incubator to hatch the remainder of the eggs. Staggered hatches can be a disaster.

 

[mountainsnbooks]

Thank you so much! I can definitely see if I can borrow an incubator! Thank you so much!

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I would grab an incubator and remove the eggs once she leaves the nest
Yoy can candle the eggs daily and look for 3 things ti start the eggs on lockdown
Eggs rocking
Shadowing along the air cell
The air cell dips forward really fast
Pre marking them when you move them will help to know how much the air cell dips forward
Good luck and we are all here to help with any extra questions

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

Get the incubator started right away, particularly with still air basic types temperature and humidity regulation can be a real problem and takes practice to get stable. You don’t want to be fiddling with it once you get the eggs in.

 

[Luv Ducks]

I had a Mallard sitting on eggs from different Hens and some were from Muscovy/Rouens so I knew they were not going to hatch in the same time frame. I got a styrofoam cooler and a light bulb and hatched three of them out in my living room. They all lived even though I had to assist one. I had a coffee cup of water in the cooler and they hatched out on a towel with the 40 watt bulb and the lid on. I checked the temperature daily. A week later they came out but one did not so I put a hole in the shell and ended up peeling her out. She is now 6 months old and big as ever and is a Mule Duck but so friendly that I kept her. The brothers of her were rehomed. Good Luck.