Incubating ducks and chickens for someone

[Miss Lydia]

Miss Lydia said: ↑
Predator?
Letting a broody hatch out offspring just to take them away is on par with predation... to me...

Oh no she had others to raise these were the Muscovy ducklings someone wanted that hatched with the Runners and Buffs. I would never take my Broodies babies completely away from her.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Miss Lydia said: ↑
Predator?
Letting a broody hatch out offspring just to take them away is on par with predation... to me...

Oh no she had others to raise these were the Muscovy ducklings someone wanted that hatched with the Runners and Buffs. I would never take my Broodies babies completely away from her.

My apologies for jumping to conclusions. Guess I'm a little sensitive sometimes. Just seems cold when people do take all the babies. They might not notice a few. Some people use their broody's like baby machines with no care for her actual joy of raising and not just sitting relentlessly.

I will say that I recently did take a broody's last two babies after she lost two others to a hawk. I felt like it was life or death. They were already 3-4 weeks old and I felt really terrible. especially when the babes were searching and calling out for there mama... who was in another pasture and she did hear them a couple of times. Both chicks and adoptive mum have adjusted and moved on.

@JudysMuscovy is this person you are considering incubating for a friend? My electricity cost me 18 cents per 1000 watts per hour.

If you love doing it and have the time and experience, plus aren't worried about any bio security in the living room or where ever you hatch/brood... then why not. (I'm *possibly* not that paranoid) I had to clean ducklings several times per day, but 1 week doesn't seem that long. Will it have an auto turner?

Figure your expenses best you can and cover them with a bit extra for yourself. It's mostly a labor of love.

Best wishes!

 

[Kruchti]

If he has the eggs and the incubator , why would he not hatch them himself?
I think that seeing them hatch is fabulous!

 

[JudysMuscovy]

If he has the eggs and the incubator , why would he not hatch them himself?
I think that seeing them hatch is fabulous!

Well he says he never has a good hatch rate- you can't just throw the eggs in a incubator and expect them to hatch. It takes time and experience to figure it out.
I don't know that I will do it again after the batch in the incubator are done. It takes àlot of my time- and he never picks them up what he said he's kinda unreliable and I end up keeping the chicks and ducks longer than expected

 

[Miss Lydia]

My apologies for jumping to conclusions. Guess I'm a little sensitive sometimes. Just seems cold when people do take all the babies. They might not notice a few. Some people use their broody's like baby machines with no care for her actual joy of raising and not just sitting relentlessly.

I will say that I recently did take a broody's last two babies after she lost two others to a hawk. I felt like it was life or death. They were already 3-4 weeks old and I felt really terrible. especially when the babes were searching and calling out for there mama... who was in another pasture and she did hear them a couple of times. Both chicks and adoptive mum have adjusted and moved on.

@JudysMuscovy is this person you are considering incubating for a friend? My electricity cost me 18 cents per 1000 watts per hour.

If you love doing it and have the time and experience, plus aren't worried about any bio security in the living room or where ever you hatch/brood... then why not. (I'm *possibly* not that paranoid) I had to clean ducklings several times per day, but 1 week doesn't seem that long. Will it have an auto turner?

Figure your expenses best you can and cover them with a bit extra for yourself. It's mostly a labor of love.

Best wishes!

That is one thing I don't do is use my broodys whether duck or chicken as broody machines matter of fact we practice birth control here most years. I am in this for the pure pleasure of having these birds, I don't sell. This was a one time thing where a member wanted to start her own Muscovies so I helped her get started. I understand entirely where your coming from.

JudysMuscovy I think your better off not hatching for this person if he isn't very reliable. just my 2 cents.

 

[JudysMuscovy]

That is one thing I don't do is use my broodys whether duck or chicken as broody machines matter of fact we practice birth control here most years. I am in this for the pure pleasure of having these birds, I don't sell. This was a one time thing where a member wanted to start her own Muscovies so I helped her get started. I understand entirely where your coming from.

JudysMuscovy I think your better off not hatching for this person if he isn't very reliable. just my 2 cents.

Yea I agree- MDH keeps telling me that too- I am too nice sometimes and don't know how to say NO- but I am learning

 

[casportpony]

Guess I'm a little sensitive sometimes. Just seems cold when people do take all the babies. They might not notice a few. Some people use their broody's like baby machines with no care for her actual joy of raising and not just sitting relentlessly.

Ducklings are too hard to sell once they get older, so while I enjoy watching the ducks with their ducklings, I don't want more ducks, so it's sell them for few dollars when they are small and cute, or feed them expensive food for weeks *then* try to sell them for less than it cost me to feed them. I do feel bad bad when I take them, but they don't miss them for long.

I think we all need to stop anthropomorphizing.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Ducklings are too hard to sell once they get older, so while I enjoy watching the ducks with their ducklings, I don't want more ducks, so it's sell them for few dollars when they are small and cute, or feed them expensive food for weeks *then* try to sell them for less than it cost me to feed them. I do feel bad bad when I take them, but they don't miss them for long.

I think we all need to stop anthropomorphizing.

I agree anthropomorphizing CAN be taken to far... and I sometimes struggle with it. But have come a LONG way... and I KNOW chickens feel things... otherwise, why does one of my gals run to beat up a cockerel who is mating (unwillingly by the female), and peck him and knock him off and then have a little conversation with the other girl, yep I think asking her if she's OK. Yes some ladies are willing to mate but others just shut up and take it because they have no other choice. I've seen this "protect your female flock mate" behavior out of more than one hen and MORE than one time. So they aren't thoughtless, emotionless, compassion less creatures.

I do understand that older ducklings are harder to sell, and especially to recoup what you have in! And definitely we all have different reasons why we do things how we do... Maybe another option is not letting them sit? I mean you don't have to explain to me... I know there ARE real challenges to breaking a broody. I have no experience with duck broody's, but if they are anything like chicken broody's it can be a serious bear! And quite seriously letting them sit and get it out of their system MIGHT be the best choice... considering the mental health of person who is TRYING to do the breaking and all the other challenges that come along with it. Some of my gals have been so relentless they have even almost broken me.. instead. Those gals get sold, with disclosure.

One lady who sold me chicks which I didn't know were broody hatched... until she said "now it's time to give her more eggs". I learned my lesson about more questions to ask.

And although my initial reaction here was in shock, disgust, and judgement... when you take the time to put yourself in someone else's shoes and consider what they MIGHT be facing it can really soften your perspective.

It's also true what you say.. not just that you don't "want more ducks", but population management is key too flock health. It has to be done SOME way. I cannot allow my birds to hatch out and keep every egg/offspring they want... and I'm not willing to let the hawk manage my flock numbers... Some of the ones it got were $8 snacks. Even the ones I hatch myself don't hatch for free, even under a broody.

I agree, they don't stay upset for too long. Do you mind sharing how the experience goes after you take the ducklings? Does that usually break the broody cycle? Or do you still have to boot her out of a nest or do any other techniques?