I wonder to let my broody chicken hatch a few duck eggs.

[BDutch]

I have small bantam chickens who get broody every spring. Just 6 meters (20’) behind my yard there is a spring with a stream for bathing water. There is plenty of green grasses too.

If I can buy fertilized eggs from a small duck species somewhere, I wonder if I can keep a group of ducks. The cage must be kept in the garden. The ducklings have to be kept safe for cats and other predators. But after growing up the ducks always have access to the water. And I only want ducklings if they can free range/swim withouth supervision after they grow up.

Can this work? What is it I need beside duck chick food after hatching? Is duckling feed okay for the broody too? Can chicken(s) raise the duck chicks? When do they need there own cage? What would be a nice small breed to keep in a environment with free roaming cats and a hunting dog? So many questions.

Any tip or advice is welcome. Also stories of similar duck keeping. Would it be wiser to buy pullet ducks?

 

[Miss Lydia]

@MasterOfClucker has Calls I bet he can answer your questions.

 

[Isaac 0]

I have small bantam chickens who get broody every spring. Just 6 meters (20’) behind my yard there is a spring with a stream for bathing water. There is plenty of green grasses too.

If I can buy fertilized eggs from a small duck species somewhere, I wonder if I can keep a group of ducks. The cage must be kept in the garden. The ducklings have to be kept safe for cats and other predators. But after growing up the ducks always have access to the water. And I only want ducklings if they can free range/swim withouth supervision after they grow up.

Can this work? What is it I need beside duck chick food after hatching? Is duckling feed okay for the broody too? Can chicken(s) raise the duck chicks? When do they need there own cage? What would be a nice small breed to keep in a environment with free roaming cats and a hunting dog? So many questions.

Any tip or advice is welcome. Also stories of similar duck keeping. Would it be wiser to buy pullet ducks?

As long as the ducklings can be kept away from large bodies of water I don't see any problem with it, of course a small container of water that they can bathe in would be recommended especially once they get older, just make sure they can get out with ease. Duck feed or a raiser feed would be preferred since it has more niacin for a ducks, you could also buy a chick starter and add a supplemental source of niacin, like brewers yeast or nutritional yeast. All would be perfectly fine for the broody hen. I've heard of many people having their chicken raise ducklings with great success, I think having a duck raise chicks is more of a problem, so why not?, try it!

I'm not sure what you mean by their own cage? From the moment their born, they should be able to have a secure place to go into at night/day.

This from personal experience, not proven in any way. My Mallards and East Indies seem to have much more "natural instincts" if you would call it, then my Calls. They seem to be smarter, forage better, fly better since they have more weight( If you have ever seen a Call fly they look like a paper airplane ). Overall they seem to be better at living in a VERY natural environment. So that said, East Indies, Mallards, Australian Spotted and Mini Appleyards would all be a great choices for you, of course Calls are always a option as well.

If you have anymore questions we'd be glad to answer!

 

[Miss Lydia]

 

[BDutch]

Thanks @MasterOfClucker
I mean with a duck cage someting like a coop for chickens, but smaller and without a roost, to sleep in. How do you call a secure place for ducks? I do want the ducks in a safe place at night. Because there have been foxes in our neighbourhood a few times. So I thought if they return to their ‘coop’ like chickens return to theirs is would be oke if I buy a chicken guard to have them locked up for the night.

But maybe the best place for ducks would be on the water. I have seen that a few times in natural settings. This is an option too as long as there is nobody complaining. Hardly anyone comes there except our neighbours (who will love it) and my family. The stream is not wide at all and I think it is a great place for small ducks. I don't want a swimming pool for ducks in my garden having clean water to swim and eat from just 20 foot away. I love the idea of natural duck keeping.

This evening Im going to search for info about the breeds you named. I wonder if I can buy them in the Netherlands.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Leaving domestic ducks on water will be a disaster waiting to happen. Predators will pick them off. A safe coop like for chickens is the only way to keep them safe over night.

 

[Isaac 0]

X2!

If you house them on a pond at night you won't have any ducks left, they need a secure coop.

 

[Isaac 0]

Every single duck I've had that has gone broody outside, that I was unable to find died to predators. There is a reason why we call them "Sitting Ducks"

 

[BDutch]

I wonder. What predators kill ducks who sleep in a shelter on a raft? Because there are less predators where I live (europe) than in the US I hope this might be a good solution?

btw I stumbled onto a new problem this evening. My dh says he doesnt like the idea of keeping ducks. Maybe it takes another year to convince him.

 

[Isaac 0]

Aerial predators could easily pick a duck off a raft, especially a bantam breed. Mink, Otter, Turtle, raccoon could too.