if you let duck hatch her own eggs

[ambrose]

will she let you pick up and socialize the ducklings as much as you could if they were in a brooder.

Or are humans much more out of the loop if you go that route?

 

[PetesMom]

I was wondering the same thing, as I have two Scovie females and I'm waiting for them to go "broody"

 

[jdywntr]

Most likely no she won't. The mothering instinct will take over and she will see you as a threat to the babies. She is just a duck though so you could still pick up the babies against her protests.
You could let her hatch them and then take them away and brood them yourself.

 

[dukzzz]

you could let her hatch 3 or 4 of her own(put some extra dummy eggs in the nest) and then incubate a few yourself. Best of both worlds

 

[Miss Lydia]

It would be very hard for me to take away ducklings from the mother. it takes a little longer for the ducklings to trust you, they eventually will enough to eat out of your hand, maybe not pick them up, but most ducks don't like to be picked up anyway. I enjoy watching mama ducks teach their ducklings.

 

[BirdyMe]

My Ancona hatched out a few ducklings last summer, and she was very good about letting me come in and cuddle on the babies. I guess it depends on the duck- how people-friendly they are. It's pretty sweet to watch momma ducks teach their babies to swim.

 

[un-named543]

I LOVE watching a mother with her ducklings, but mine tried to kill me when I touched the eggs or babies. She would fly into me, grab the skin on my hands and twist as hard as she could. I still handled the babies, but knowing it was gonna cost me a finger or two.....
but SOOOO worth it!

 

[Oregon Blues]

Leave her and the ducklings alone. If the duck is tame, then she will teach the ducklings to come to you for food and to allow you to walk around them. They will learn to do whatever their mother normally does in her routine life.

She's the mother. It's her job to defend her ducklings. She'd be a lousy mother if she let anyone take her eggs or catch her ducklings.

 

[ambrose]

Gotcha.

This goes back to my thread about starting adults v. ducklings. I think I'm going to start w/ducklings so i get a turn to be the broody mama first. Then later I'll let them set their own.

 

[Lilleylady]

I have three ducks who have all been sitting on a huge pile of eggs. Two ducklings hatched yesterday and so far that’s all. The ducks all started sitting a few days after each other so I’m thinking they will have more hatching soon. They are in a house with an enclosed run. I put food and water in low containers for the ducklings. Is there anything else I should do? I did manage to hold the ducklings but the ducks were not happy! They didn’t bite or anything. They just quacked and flapped wings. I worried a bit because they aren’t careful when walking around - they step on the poor little babies! But they seem ok. And I really want the mamas to raise them. Should I worry?