Hen on duck eggs

[tony garza]

Hi,

Yesterday I found one of my free range hens sitting on an old duck nest. She seems to be sitting on about 6 chicken eggs and some older duck eggs. The duck eggs are about 2 weeks old and older. When she hatches her chicks, will she continue to set on the duck eggs until some maybe will hatch ???


thanks

tony garza

 

[ranchhand]

I don't know tony, but it will be interesting to find out! Meanwhile, do you have her and the nest protected against predators?

That will certainly be a hatch worth watching, and

!

 

[tony garza]

I have about 1/2 dozen bantam chickens running loose. I have an empty 4X10 pen with the door open so my ducks could nest. The ducks used built a nest and laid about 8 eggs then left and started another nest. I don't remember if the ducks laid any more eggs on the first nest before the chicken decided it was hers. I decided to close the pen door and now she is protected. The only predator I have to worry about is snakes. The dogs take care of all the rest. Yes, the dogs and the banty chickens run together. I guess I'll wait until March 14th and see what she hatches and see if she stays on the duck eggs until they maybe hatch.

tony garza

 

[baustin]

When I was a young girl I remember once seeing a hen that had hatched baby ducks. They headed towards the lake wih mama coming up from the rear and when they wen in the water she had a fit. It was so funny to watch that I've never forgot it. Lots of luck!!!!!

 

[bemba]

If she has just started sitting and the chicken and duck eggs started incubation together, she wont sit as the chickens take approx 21 days, mallard derived ducks approx 28 days and muscovy 35 days, so by the time the chicks hatch she will usually only wait 48 hours after hatching then move her chicks. You could take the chicks off her when they hatch and she most likely will keep incubating the duck eggs, or you could put the duck eggs in an incubator when the chickens start piping. Good Luck.