I put this in the duck section, but no replys. Need Advice!

[MakNat]

I have a broody muscovey. She has been sitting on 3 wooded eggs for 3 weeks... I was waiting for the feed store ducklings.. We got 8 pekins today and I out them under her. It didn't go as well as I'd hoped, but not horrible either. How should she have acted. First she bit them and they acted very scared. They have all calmed down a little, but they just don't seem like a happy family. I think I should bring them in. I was REALLY hoping this hen would take them.

 

[SilkiesAndSuch]

What time of day did you put them under her? I would have put them under her at night, when she can't see as well. The normal hatching process takes many hours and the last few days of incubation allow the developing chicks and mom to get to know one another, which the ducklings and broody muscovy lack. How old were the pekin ducklings? They might be too old to imprint, but if you want them to accept each other, I would monitor the muscovy and the ducklings together and let them get to know each other as best as you can. I would be confused too if one day, a bunch of baby pekins just appeared under me with no warning

Good luck!

 

[MakNat]

I put them under her when it was getting dark. I just checked on them and she was standing up in the nest box. I'm guess shes doing that so they can get under her. I felt, some were. I will get up and go out there before day light in the morning. She always gets off the nest about day break. The ducklings are 2 days I would say. They ship at a day old and they got there yesterday and we got them today. If they follow her around and she wants them too I think we're ok. If not, I'll bring them in.

 

[SilkiesAndSuch]

Well, good luck

I hope they imprint to her and she raises them up well(as I know a muscovy hen will do) I'm not an expert on ducks....I've never had them, so my advice will probably not be as concrete as someone who raises ducks

Hope you wake up to a happy mama and babies

 

[TinyBirds]

If you end up needing to bring them in, I've found they're a lot less messy if you use a rabbit-waterer or one of the waterers from Black Creek Poultry. My baby ducks learned it right away, and I use them for all my chicks too.