Hen (Chicken) hatching out ducklings??

[lindsay297]

I am going to ask this on both sides of the fence and hopefully I will get some answers. I have a broody hen (chicken) and already have 2 batchs of chicks hatched out by other broodies this year. My kids would love some ducks and wondering if I can have my broody hen hatch out some ducklings for us. Are there any special things to consider when hatching out a different species like this??

Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I don't think there's a big problem. My friend's turkey hatched out some of my chickens.

 

[Kevin565]

Since it's a hen hatching out ducklings rather than the other way around you should be fine.

 

[linsz]

Provide a brooding area, the place where the hen will hatch the eggs, that is well ventilated, has plenty of light, is dry and without drafts. Garages, sheds and old barns serve well for this purpose.

• Acquire a brooding hen from one of the following varieties of chickens: New Hampshires, Rhode Island Reds or Cochins. These breeds work well for laying and hatching duck eggs.

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Place fewer duck eggs under a brooding chicken hen than what it would normally hatch for chicken eggs. If the average amount of chicken eggs is 12, then only place 10 duck eggs under the hen. Smaller breeds of chickens would obviously be equipped to hatch fewer eggs.

• Mist the duck eggs with room-temperature water once per day. Duck eggs require more humidity than chicken eggs, so the misting will help the ducklings develop.
• Make sure the brooding hen is given fresh water and feed daily. This will ensure she stays nested on the duck eggs.

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tips for raising ducks : do not put them in your house! they get dusty, stink, and they drench the shavings/towel you put under them, with water. I suggest giving the ducklings a chick water feeder and feed feeder. Give them lots of attention and snuggle them a lot, they love it! Keep them inside under a red heat lamp until they develop feathers. Minimum amount is two, but i reccomend 3 and over. If your children are younger than 7, make sure they are very careful with the ducklings! It's really not as hard as it seems. It's just like raising chickens. I hope this helped! I'm raising three ducklings also right now. Anymore questions? I'll be glad to help!

-Lin