Hen raising duckling

[kylen2007]

I dont really have a question more as an adorable situation. We have 11 hens, 1 rooster, 2 female pekins, and 2 ducklings. They are all around 15 weeks old except my ducklings which are 3 weeks. Anyways with it being summer we started letting the ducklings out in the run to get some sun and gradually introduce them to our flock. We leave the gate open and let the chickens free range during the day. My female ducks keep chasing the ducklings and attacking them. Well now one of my hens (maddie) has stopped foraging and will not leave the ducklings. She chases off the big ducks and snuggles them. Its the cutest thing! None of my hens lay yet. So i dont know if this is a sign she is about to or if she will just be a broody hen but i love watch her be a mommy to them. Sorry i had to share the cuteness!

 

[chaddyville]

I dont really have a question more as an adorable situation. We have 11 hens, 1 rooster, 2 female pekins, and 2 ducklings. They are all around 15 weeks old except my ducklings which are 3 weeks. Anyways with it being summer we started letting the ducklings out in the run to get some sun and gradually introduce them to our flock. We leave the gate open and let the chickens free range during the day. My female ducks keep chasing the ducklings and attacking them. Well now one of my hens (maddie) has stopped foraging and will not leave the ducklings. She chases off the big ducks and snuggles them. Its the cutest thing! None of my hens lay yet. So i dont know if this is a sign she is about to or if she will just be a broody hen but i love watch her be a mommy to them. Sorry i had to share the cuteness!

How lovely your hen has taken the ducklings under her wing. I have a broody hen who has just hatched six ducklings from eggs I put under her. It's great to see her teaching them how to scratch for food. She's a natural mum. It sounds like your hen is too.

 

[kylen2007]

Thanks! She isnt laying yet so I am really surprised to see her doing it but maybe when she starts laying she will hatch some chicks of her own! She is partially blind in one eye. We got hwr from the hatchery like that. She has always been my special girl.

 

[chaddyville]

Thanks! She isnt laying yet so I am really surprised to see her doing it but maybe when she starts laying she will hatch some chicks of her own! She is partially blind in one eye. We got hwr from the hatchery like that. She has always been my special girl.

My broody hen is not even a year old and this was her first time hatching eggs. She went broody and was trying to hatch her eggs but i dont have a rooster which is why i gave her the duck eggs. She has surprised me every step of the way. She's obviously a natural mom.

 

[kylen2007]

Awe! Thats so precious! My rooster keeps trying to mount all my girls but no one is laying yet so they just run. He is a jersey giant and looks so funny when he goes after the EEs lol. Maybe next spring ill have chicks.

 

[philipchickymad]

Can two week old ducklings live with several other hens

 

[kylen2007]

Yes As long as they don't need the heat lamp. I started off just letting them in the run during the day and putting them back in the brooder at night. After a few days of that and seeing that my rooster and other ducks wasn't going to hurt them we let them sleep in the coop too. The ducks do their thing and the chickens do theirs. Neither seem to mind each other.