MicaFarms
Hatching
I am new to Backyard chickens but I have spent countless hours on the forums looking for answers to my many questions since we started the chicken and duck adventure in April of 2015.
Our birds free range on about an acre, fenced in with a 6 foot fence. We have 26 chickens, and one rooster along with our ducks. We have a coop, the ducks haven't been using since it is summer. They prefer to stay outside.
I have 3 Blue Swedish ducks, 1 drake (Kermit), 2 hens (Summer and Autumn). Autumn is sitting in a wooded area of there paddock and Summer just hatched 4 eggs, two died and two lived. She was attempting to take the surviving ducklings (Hatched July 3rd) to a new hiding spot deep in the brush but I tricked her with Cheerios to get her into our brooding house 4x4 feet with the babies. The attached run is 4x10 and fenced overhead. The brooding house is inside the acre paddock.
The issue is the drake and female seem very stressed and they both keep poking at the fence often. The drake is very interested in her and the ducklings and seems very distressed not being able to be with them. Although he is just on the other side of the fence.
I know they have been doing this in the wild on there own and probably don't need my intervention but I don't want to let them out. I am already attached and was very upset when I cleaned out the nest and found two didn't survive the first night.
Am I interfering and causing more issues than needed? Should I let them go?
Our birds free range on about an acre, fenced in with a 6 foot fence. We have 26 chickens, and one rooster along with our ducks. We have a coop, the ducks haven't been using since it is summer. They prefer to stay outside.
I have 3 Blue Swedish ducks, 1 drake (Kermit), 2 hens (Summer and Autumn). Autumn is sitting in a wooded area of there paddock and Summer just hatched 4 eggs, two died and two lived. She was attempting to take the surviving ducklings (Hatched July 3rd) to a new hiding spot deep in the brush but I tricked her with Cheerios to get her into our brooding house 4x4 feet with the babies. The attached run is 4x10 and fenced overhead. The brooding house is inside the acre paddock.
The issue is the drake and female seem very stressed and they both keep poking at the fence often. The drake is very interested in her and the ducklings and seems very distressed not being able to be with them. Although he is just on the other side of the fence.
I know they have been doing this in the wild on there own and probably don't need my intervention but I don't want to let them out. I am already attached and was very upset when I cleaned out the nest and found two didn't survive the first night.
Am I interfering and causing more issues than needed? Should I let them go?