How to help momma with ducklings

[Goldsfam743]

We have a duck and chicken who have taken turns brooding a nest. We only have a drake and no rooster so I knew we'd only get ducklings. I've never had this before and I was just told I need to help them. How? I was told I need to seperate the ducks from the chickens... How?
Our coop is about 4 feet off the ground with a tramp because we thought we'd only have chickens... We now have chickens and ducks. It looks like one of the ducklings that hatched in the night got pecked to death.
So today we have closed up momma and the ducklings with food and water in the coop while the other birds are free ranging and in the run for the day. What do I do at night?
Do I need to run a heat lamp down there for them? Use chicken wire to seperate the birds inside the coop? I could move momma and babies into a coop on the ground later but I don't want to move them while she's still hatching eggs. Help!?

 

[WVduckchick]

First, momma will keep the babies warm, so no need to worry about heat.

if they have already pecked one to death, then yes, separation sounds like a must. Do you have somewhere else you can secure the chickens for a couple of nights until you can get the duck and ducklings moved down? Dog crate, etc?

If there is enough room to just make a wire separator, that may be the way to go. Just be sure they have food and water on both sides.

 

[Goldsfam743]

I don't have anything to put the chickens in...i think I'll do a wire fence seperation. It's a 4 feet by 4 feet coop. The side the nest is is the side the chicken likes to roost. But she will have to live. Should I keep the other female duck and make duck on the side with chickens? I've seen the drake step on the ducklings a couple times but then So has momma duck...

 

[WVduckchick]

Best to keep them all away from momma and the ducklings, if you can. Once the ducklings are all hatched and up and moving around, she will be able to defend them, but you will still have to watch them closely.

My drake wanted his "girl" back, and those babies were "in the way!"... so he would get aggressive with the babies. Some drakes are fine with small ones, some are not. You will have to observe how yours handles the situation.

Good luck!

 

[Goldsfam743]

Thank you! I'll do that then. Thanks so much for your help!!

 

[WVduckchick]

Sure! Hope you'll come back with an update and pictures!!

And I forgot --

 

[Goldsfam743]

Here's pictures from this morning:
And I was a member on here before but it's been a while and I couldn't remember which email I used and what password I used. Lol

 

[Goldsfam743]

Oh no! One of the ducklings had s deformed beak! Will it live??

 

[WVduckchick]

well welcome back! Lol

beautiful momma and darling ducklings. I know there was a thread recently about one with a deformed bill. Let's get some other help. I gotta run but will be back after while.

@casportpony @Ravynscroft @Pyxis

 

[casportpony]

Oh no! One of the ducklings had s deformed beak! Will it live??

Welcome back!

I have one like that and it does fine. Just keep a close eye on it and feed it from deep enough feed bowls. If you can, please take some close up pictures of it's bill.