How did you succeed introducing ducklings to a broody duck?

[ADuckingMess]

Hi everyone!

I have a female who couldn’t decide if she wanted to be broody or not. I let her set on a nest with no luck.
We successfully incubated ducklings and after they were nice and dry and had been shown where to get food and water, I introduced them to the maybe-I’ll-hatch-babies momma.

They instantly imprinted on her and moved to snuggle underneath. She seems… unsure. She has not pecked, pushed, or grabbed at any of the babies.
She has tolerated them but seems more interested in leading her normal life. They are in their own space, draft free, food, water, and a heat lamp incase it goes south.

All of that to ask: how did you successfully introduce ducklings?
How long did it take the momma to accept? What behavior indicated that it would be a cohesive fit? And, how did you decide on a momma hen that had not yet raised brood?

Honestly, if someone put seven newborns under me I’d probably be a little unsure too.

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC! Is the duck acting more motherly yet?

 

[GoofySara]

How and when do I introduce my newly store bought ducks that I have been raising up?

 

[ruthhope]

This last couple of months, I have had 2 rescued ducklings out into a compartment of my duck house from ~6 weeks, once the night low temperatures stayed above 65F. It's the temperature rather than the age that determines when they went out. They were see, no touch during the day with a fenced off enclosure. The rest of my flock, 3 muscovy and 1 pekin -- all drakes, free range during the day

By 7 weeks, I was certain my ducklings are also drakes and that they are jumbo pekins. By 8 weeks, one of my jumbo ducklings was clearly ready to join the boys. He's sassy, wards off the others if they come near his food dish on the side of the garden pen, and running up the garden with the flock when I let them put in the morning. He knows to run to his pen. However, he is remaining with his clutch mate in the pen during the day as the other jumbo has leg deformities from very fast growth in a very short time. Today, at 8.5 weeks, I let the jumbo with mobility impairment run up the garden with the boys, too. I am not sure that he would have done it on his own, but he gets separation anxiety and he just ran up the garden stumbling and flapping his wings to keep up with his brother! He followed the other into their pen.

So at 8+ weeks, after 2 weeks see no touch, my duckling drakes would have joined the flock if one had not been special needs.

If introducing ducklings to an all female flock, you might be able to do this a little sooner. BUT! If you have a drake and females, I would not introduce ducklings until you can sex them. Drakes may hurt any ducklings, but they will certainly go for male ducklings. Even apparently placid drakes (my son has a sweet pekin drake with 4 females) can get shockingly violent with a male duckling. We have found that the drakes reaction to seeing, no touch, a duckling at 4 weeks is a reliable indicator of the sex of the ducklings.

Whatever ages, do use a period of see no touch, and do very closely supervise the first free meetings until you are certain the ducklings are accepted into the flock.