HELP Will a hen raise a duckling?!

frankenchick

Crowing
15 Years
Apr 20, 2007
671
29
306
Benton Twp., Michigan
I never thought it would happen, but Iris, my hen, hatched at least one of the Muscovy eggs she’s been setting!

Now what? Will she be okay with her deformed chick, or do I need to rescue it? She was acting funny, and I looked under her—there was a duckling! I’m a little concerned because new moms in the past would’ve pecked me pretty forcefully if I’d tried to look under them at their chicks.
 
How is it deformed?
Hens of all kinds will raise hatchlings of other species.
My friend's turkey hatched and raised some of my chicks.
What you need to focus on now is nutrition. All species have specific nutritional needs. Provide the feed the young ones need and the hen will survive with it.
 
She will still protect the hatchling from the other hens regardless of the species of the hatchling.
Ducks are even more precocial than chickens so it should be fine as long as it has the right food and plenty of water. The hen may become disturbed when it wants to swim.
 
Thanks, guys!
There won’t be an issue with swimming because Muscovies are wood fowl. They only need water for feeding (and to cool off in this hot weather).
I feed all my fowl the same food, which is higher in protein to accommodate the ducks. I supplement with calcium for the chickens.
Our little chiducken looks fine; I just said ”deformed” because s/he was definitely not what a hen expects to see in her brood box!
 
I was wondering about that. I don't really know what a hen expects to see and she accepts what she sees. Do you do anything for extra niacin?
 
No issues with a chicken raising ducks as long as the duck gets the right feed and nutrients. I've seen ducks hatch chickens, chickens hatch ducks, and my Muscovy used to lay in the mallards nest and let them raise the babies.
 

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