Hi from PA

crf1

Hatching
6 Years
Apr 29, 2013
8
0
7
Pennsylvania
Hi. I have 3 black jersey giant hens that I got last spring I also have a pair of Muscovy ducks and 7 black silkies and 6 red sex link chicks. My problem is this.. One of my bjg's decided that she wants to steal the ducks eggs. I have found a new chicken on the duck eggs every day for the past week I even chased my cat off of them a time or 2. I really want to hatch these eggs and I want to hatch some silkies too but can I put chicken and duck eggs together under the same hen? If the chicks hatch at 21 days will she stay until the ducks hatch at 35 or will she abandon them? Has anyone every tried hatching chicken and ducks together?
 
Greetings from Kansas, crf1, and
welcome-byc.gif
! Pleased to have you aboard. Sorry - I haven't a clue about what will happen to the duck eggs when the chicken eggs hatch. But the folks in the link below will. Good luck to you!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/5/incubating-hatching-eggs
 
Welcome to BYC. Chicken hens can hatch duck eggs and chicken eggs in the same clutch, but in order to have the hen set the duration you must start the chicken eggs one week later (mallard derived breeds) or 2 weeks later ( muscovies). Generally hens will leave the nest around 36 hours after the first chick hatches. Some hens will NOT set the extra week or two required to hatch duck eggs. In my experience such mixed incubations are more trouble than they are worth.
 
Thank you. I think I will just take the chicken eggs away and try to make the chickens leave the duck alone and let her hatch her own eggs. It does seem like an awful lot of worry that I don't exactly want or need to allow them to sit on a mixed clutch. I would hate for the eggs to get neglected a few days before hatching.
 

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