Help! Mother won't accept baby!

[OreoPlymothRock]

So, ducklings are hatching today, and we needed to intervene with one of them. So, we peeled the shell so it could break the membrane instead. We put the egg back on the nest when the mother grabbed the duckling and tried to kill it! What do we do? We don't want to raise them inside. Because of the loud noise. Our chicken, Puffball, incubated them and now is rejecting them! Please help!

 

[desertdarlene]

Most birds have a poor sense of smell, so rubbing her scent on it won't help. Can you set up a brooder in a garage or other out building? He won't survive without warmth. Did you try slipping them other the mother at night while she's sleeping/sleepy?

 

[Miss Lydia]

So, ducklings are hatching today, and we needed to intervene with one of them. So, we peeled the shell so it could break the membrane instead. We put the egg back on the nest when the mother grabbed the duckling and tried to kill it! What do we do? We don't want to raise them inside. Because of the loud noise. Our chicken, Puffball, incubated them and now is rejecting them! Please help!

How much are you messing with the hen and ducklings? interfering with her and the hatching may have her upset. where is the duckling now?

 

[OreoPlymothRock]

getting dry in a brooder

 

[OreoPlymothRock]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/744123/our-baby-ducks-are-hatching#post_10458189

 

[Spifflove]

Your the mother and the father of the duckling now.

 

[Miss Lydia]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/744123/our-baby-ducks-are-hatching#post_10458189

Looks like you took the eggs away for hatching is that right? might be thats why she attacked the duckling .she didn't see it as hers.

 

[animalz11]

If she wont accept her duckling there is really nothing you can do.
If you handled the egg/duckling then the egg/duckling wouldn't smell like her, so try rubbing the duckling against her other eggs/ducklings so s/he can pick up the smell. If this doesn't work then you'll have ot raise it.
But you can't raise the duckling by itself or it will imprint on you, you need at least another 2 ducklings...

 

[jdywntr]

If you took them out from under her, then she may not accept them. Are there still 2 others under her? If so, leave them there and let her hatch them out. If she hatches them you can TRY to stick the hatched babies under her. This needs to be done at night, in as dark of an area as possible. So, have a helper that can hold a flashlight don't shine a light right on her just lift her and stick them under. You need to be there in the VERY early morning to make sure that she accepts them. It may not work she could kill them or you will need to raise them in the house.

Broodies will bond with what hatches under them but they need to be there not taken and returned.

Good luck.

 

[OreoPlymothRock]

we took them out from under her because fire ants were running in and out of the eggs.