I need help of hatching ducklings

[Miss Lydia]

Thankyou but would I have to keep the ducklings with the mother chicken

 

[Kimmyh51]

I let a chicken hen hatch out my duck eggs, they make better mothers, and don't try and sit on eggs wet, course you have to have a broody.

Duck eggs need humidity, and the duck sitting on the eggs after a swim gives them that.
I hve had the a couple of ducks who were so dedicated to their wee nest they wouldnt leave it long enough to swim....and they had lower hatch rates and hatches with symptoms of low humidity

 

[Kimmyh51]

I have a khaki campbell that has been laying eggs. She tends to lay them everywhere. I have a swedish drake that has interest in her and is very protective of her. I hope she lays on the eggs. Are khaki campbells good mothers

My Khaki Campbells have been better mums than my silver appleyards (who, excuse my language, are s--t mothers) but they have tended to be a bit of a lottery, some are great, some not so much, a few started out enthuastic and lost interest part way through incubating, leaving eggs with well developed ducklings (ie heart beat, eyes, lots of movement) to go cold. I wont let any egg with a discernable heartbeat be left to die if I can save it, so that leaves me with eggs I end up having to incubate, hatch and raise myself when I didnt really want to, because some khaki campbell mum told me she wanted babies and would do everything to raise them, then lost interest,...(lying tart!)
One of my best broodies is a khaki campbell. Another good broody is one too
Another 3 seemed committed then suddenly got off nests containing lots of live growing ducklings...
And one was a great mum first time, lost interest in baby second time, (at 12 am in the rain!)

So are they good mums?

If they want to be, yes

Thay can be great, but best to have an incubator or backup chook, just in case

A cheap incubator btw can be made from a light fitting plus incandescent bulb, an old chilly bin (cooler?) and a temperature controller.
My temp controller cost about$27 nzd (prob under 20 usd) incl a power supply and shipping, and keeps the temperature within 0.1 of what I set it to, using a light bulb in an old cooler. Have hatched two lots of eggs in it from scratch, and also finished and hatched countless eggs my ducks have abandoned, often right as they were hatching or due to hatch.....
One of those hatchlings hatched a couple of days ago and is cuddling and chirping in my hand right now ..and he/she agrees with everything i say, lol

 

[Goose_Goose]

My Khaki Campbells have been better mums than my silver appleyards (who, excuse my language, are s--t mothers) but they have tended to be a bit of a lottery, some are great, some not so much, a few started out enthuastic and lost interest part way through incubating, leaving eggs with well developed ducklings (ie heart beat, eyes, lots of movement) to go cold. I wont let any egg with a discernable heartbeat be left to die if I can save it, so that leaves me with eggs I end up having to incubate, hatch and raise myself when I didnt really want to, because some khaki campbell mum told me she wanted babies and would do everything to raise them, then lost interest,...(lying tart!)
One of my best broodies is a khaki campbell. Another good broody is one too
Another 3 seemed committed then suddenly got off nests containing lots of live growing ducklings...
And one was a great mum first time, lost interest in baby second time, (at 12 am in the rain!)

So are they good mums?

If they want to be, yes

Thay can be great, but best to have an incubator or backup chook, just in case

A cheap incubator btw can be made from a light fitting plus incandescent bulb, an old chilly bin (cooler?) and a temperature controller.
My temp controller cost about$27 nzd (prob under 20 usd) incl a power supply and shipping, and keeps the temperature within 0.1 of what I set it to, using a light bulb in an old cooler. Have hatched two lots of eggs in it from scratch, and also finished and hatched countless eggs my ducks have abandoned, often right as they were hatching or due to hatch.....
One of those hatchlings hatched a couple of days ago and is cuddling and chirping in my hand right now ..and he/she agrees with everything i say, lol

Thank you. I hope mine will make great parents.