Help! First baby trampled

[JLondon]

I have ducks and chickens. I have 2 mama sucks sitting on a combined clutch of eggs (they both laid and by the time we discovered it, they were pretty established). My problem is...we are on about day 27/28 and I checked the eggs today (visually without touching) and discovered the first baby was hatched and (appeared to be) trampled to death. So now what? I dont know if they faught over it or if it was an early hatch. Should I remove the rest and get an incubator? I'm so stressed about the rest of the babies! Thanks in advance!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I would remove one duck hen. 2 will complicate things and can cause deaths.

 

[sylviethecochin]

Welcome to BYC!

x2, Oldhen.

Chickens can co-set and co-parent pretty well (at least in my experience. Someone on here had her hens fighting over the chicks, but the three pairs I have had all did really well.) Ducks can co-parent after the 'lings hatch. But I never let two ducks set together, because they're about as clumsy as newborn calves. They might not have even been fighting over the duckling; there was just one pair of feet too many in there.

 

[JLondon]

Ok, I can separate and take one of the mamas out. Will it traumatize her? Should I move any eggs with her? Will the ducklings know they have 2 moms or will they only follow one? I should have probably figured this out before hatching day! Thanks for the help!

 

[sylviethecochin]

Ok, I can separate and take one of the mamas out. Will it traumatize her? Should I move any eggs with her? Will the ducklings know they have 2 moms or will they only follow one? I should have probably figured this out before hatching day! Thanks for the help!

It seems unfair to make her do all the work and have none of the rewards. If you want to give her some eggs and separate here, it's worth a try.

I have never attempted to move a duck with a nest. When I do it with chickens, I put the nest in a cardboard box with airholes, put the chicken on the nest, and close the lid. If I do it during lockdown, I'm not careful. Chickens can hear their eggs peeping at them, and will settle onto the nest immediately.

If the ducklings are similarly aged, my Swedish ducks almost always merge their babies into one giant flock that they lead around proudly. Ducklings naturally try to hang out with other ducklings, and the mums drift together with them. The ducklings are fine with having two mums. Keep an eye on it though, as I once had a psycho mallard who tolerated no babies but her own near her. She snapped the necks of intruders. Birds are individuals, and will behave differently.