Hens Raising Ducks?

[callie7]

Hi everyone!
We have some broody hens (they’re Cochins) that we’ve put to good use with our neighbor’s duck eggs. We’ve snuck some in their nests for them to lay on and when we candled them we realized they’re fertilized! We’re excited to have little ducks soon (in about 3 weeks). My question is... does anybody have experience with chickens raising ducklings? Should I separate them from the flock when they hatch? Leave them with the hen for her to raise them? I do not have roosters.
Thanks in advance

 

[JaeG]

Your hen can definitely raise the ducklings. Make sure any water you have available for the ducklings is shallow enough that they can easily climb out if they get in, or in something that they cannot get into. Ducklings can get waterlogged and drown, especially without a mother duck who would share her waterproofing. They do need a little depth of water though, enough that they can clean out their nostrils.

It depends on the personalities of your flock as to whether they will accept little ones, and how dominant your broody is. If she's high in the pecking order she should be able to defend her babies, but a more docile bird further down the pecking order may not be able to. It might be best to cage them separately, but in view of the rest of the flock, for the first week. After that they should be fine. If your birds are confined to a run then you'll need to ensure there is enough space as some broodies won't let anybody anywhere near their babies, leaving the other members of the flock nowhere to go in a small run. If that's the case then you may need to keep her separated.

Keep an eye on her around hatch time to make sure that she is accepting of the ducklings. Some broodies like to sit, but don't know what to do with little ones once they hatch. They can, in rare cases, freak out and kill the babies, not realising what they are.

 

[Hellychick21]

Hi everyone!
We have some broody hens (they’re Cochins) that we’ve put to good use with our neighbor’s duck eggs. We’ve snuck some in their nests for them to lay on and when we candled them we realized they’re fertilized! We’re excited to have little ducks soon (in about 3 weeks). My question is... does anybody have experience with chickens raising ducklings? Should I separate them from the flock when they hatch? Leave them with the hen for her to raise them? I do not have roosters.
Thanks in advance

Hi Calli7
I've just done the same, my son bought duck eggs from the supermarket, put them in an incubator, it stopped working so we put them under our old black Silkie hen (10 years old) she's hatched them and is a very proud mum. I've put her separate in a small hen hut in another part of garden away from other hens. She's doing a fantastic job and the ducks seem to be thriving. I've read they can live with chickens and that will be where I am looking to put them eventually.

 

[Fayed]

Seperating depends entirely on your flock and momma. Cochins generally are great mum's though. What ever you decide to do make sure to keep a close eye out when hatch time approaches. I had muscovy eggs under one of my chickens she's hatched chicks before so I didn't expect a problem but came out to check on them and found mom up on the roost with a a dried baby sitting on the ground under her. She didn't recognize it as hers and abandoned it and the rest of the eggs. Luckily my flock is good with babies so everyone left it alone and I was able to take it and the rest of the eggs and finish the hatch. So just be prepared for all posible outcomes. I think had my Cochin been the one sitting the eggs she would have accepted them no problem lol she will take anything to raise.