Hi fellow duck lovers, I am a first time duck owner with 5 ducks (Pekin duck & drake, Swedish Blue duck & drake, and one mixed breed girl) that are a few months old. The boys (Donald & Samson) have been quite "busy" with the girls and my Pekin girl (Daisy) is sitting on a very large clutch of eggs (some of which she has now thrown out of the large nest she's built, but she's still sitting on a lot). I took several away and candled them, they looked fertile (had the shadowy spidery look) so I have them in a Hova Bator incubator at 100F and 50-60% humidity. They're up to day 12. My question is - if/when I get ducklings hatching in the incubator (and/or from Daisy), should I be preparing now to have a brooder/lamp setup for the ducklings and keep them away from the adult ducks for several weeks, or should I put them in with Daisy only, or with the entire flock and let them take care of them? I really need lots of help from the experts here. In anticipation! Farmchick67
Welcome! unusual you had a broody Pekin, that is not something that occurs often. Anyways, yep since you took the eggs your on your own.. sometimes you can foster babies with a broody but that doesn't always work and frankly given the propensity of Pekin to not be broody i wouldn't try it, they can kill them, the duck will not know they were her eggs. So i would brood them like you would bought ducks. I also would recommend adding more females, you should have at least 2-3 per.. you have way to many drakes for only 3 females.. I run a lot of drakes here that said i even upped my levels of females this year, my pekin drake has 5 ducks and access to many more of differing breeds if he chooses. As well they will need a slow intro to the flock themselves, i usually pen within all young so they can 'talk' and mingle with the flock but cannot be hurt, adults can be rough. The only young that actually are within the flock are mine that are with their mothers they offer protection.
Hi, thanks for your helpful reply! From what I've read, I'll need to keep the ducklings in a brooder with a heat lamp, food & water for about 6 weeks, is that right? What about if Daisy successfully hatches some of her own, should I leave them with her at least?