Good morning everyone,
Here in south central PA kinda muggy and to warm for my liking. I came home the other evening to put my ducks in and found I had 1 hatched almost completely and 3 more with holes in the eggs and movement inside. Waited until the following afternoon and found I had 3 new ducklings. One was mostly out of the shell but didn't make it. Not sure why or what happened. Anyway this is my first time hatching my own and they were all natural with one of my ducks becoming the broody mom thankfully and sitting on the nest all this time. I have one male rouen, 4 female rouens and one mixed.
Here in lies the problem. I keep my ducks in a 4x8 duck house which is now separated into 1/3 for the broody duck and her ducklings and the rest for the other 5 adults. I have the ducklings and the mom secured in the duck house though. She is adamant about taking the ducklings out. I am not sure this is a good idea. I was planning on keeping them in for several reasons. One I worry about predators that I don't think will bother the adults but not sure about the ducklings. Next is my ramp is about 1 and a half to 2 feet off the ground. I can easily see one of them taking a tumble off and breaking something. Mostly worried about them and the other adults.
They are in a 25x25 fenced in area and I have fishing line strung across the top back and forth as I had a hawk kill one of my males last year.So my question is do I go with the motherly ones instincts and let them out or should I keep them in until they are bigger?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Here in south central PA kinda muggy and to warm for my liking. I came home the other evening to put my ducks in and found I had 1 hatched almost completely and 3 more with holes in the eggs and movement inside. Waited until the following afternoon and found I had 3 new ducklings. One was mostly out of the shell but didn't make it. Not sure why or what happened. Anyway this is my first time hatching my own and they were all natural with one of my ducks becoming the broody mom thankfully and sitting on the nest all this time. I have one male rouen, 4 female rouens and one mixed.
Here in lies the problem. I keep my ducks in a 4x8 duck house which is now separated into 1/3 for the broody duck and her ducklings and the rest for the other 5 adults. I have the ducklings and the mom secured in the duck house though. She is adamant about taking the ducklings out. I am not sure this is a good idea. I was planning on keeping them in for several reasons. One I worry about predators that I don't think will bother the adults but not sure about the ducklings. Next is my ramp is about 1 and a half to 2 feet off the ground. I can easily see one of them taking a tumble off and breaking something. Mostly worried about them and the other adults.
They are in a 25x25 fenced in area and I have fishing line strung across the top back and forth as I had a hawk kill one of my males last year.So my question is do I go with the motherly ones instincts and let them out or should I keep them in until they are bigger?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
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