Muscovy sitting on both duck and chicken eggs

Binos1984

Chirping
Jul 5, 2017
22
24
64
Good morning fellow Backyard Chicken Owners!

I am turning to you as I have a few questions. A little background to add context to my question:

My flock consists of:
4 adult Wyandotte hens
2 adult Barred Rock hens
1 adult Red Sex Link hen
1 white silkie "frizzle" rooster
4 adult silkie hens
and..... 3 muscovy ducks, 1 drake, 2 females

Currently, one of my muscovies is sitting on both chicken and duck eggs and one of my barred rock hens is sitting on another clutch of eggs, but only chicken eggs.

The issue I'm having is that last night, I found a chicken egg that attempted to hatch but appeared to be crushed. I began wondering if letting my duck hatch the chicken eggs was a good idea and came upon a thread that had been through the same situation (https://www.communitychickens.com/how-our-duck-hatched-chickens-sort-of/).

After much thought, I waited until my non-domesticated duck got off her nest to eat/drink, which happened this morning. I transferred all the chicken eggs under my broody barred rock and left only the duck eggs in her nest. Further to many check ins, it seems that both have accepted what I did and they are both happily sitting and clucking on the eggs.

Is this is right thing to do? Did I mess anything up? Any advice is welcome. :)

Thx!
 
It's probably ok to have a duck hatch both duck and chicken eggs IF you set the eggs at the appropriate dates so that they are due to hatch at the same time. If you set them on the same day and the chickens were to hatch day 21 and the muscovy eggs weren't due to hath until day 35 you risk the mom abandoning the nest when the first eggs hatch on day 21. Same goes for your broody barred rock, as long as all the eggs under her are due to hatch the same day it should be fine.
 
X2 what @PirateGirl said.
I've never mixed a hatch for that reason but have had mallards hatch chicks and that was fine except they will lead the chicks into water and they will drown or die from being wet and chilled.
I have muscovies now because they make as good of mothers as the mallards did but can set on over twice as many eggs.
My game plan was to let them hatch the chicks then remove them as soon as they decided to venture out of the nest.
The first two to hatch chicks promptly ate them.
The first hatch I was a bit confused what happened but the second hatch I caught her in the act.
I know this doesn't have any bearing on you situation but shared as a warning to anyone else that might find this thread later on.
I think you did the right thing.
 
Seems like a good decision to me. Even if both chicks and ducklings hatched at the same time and avoided getting crushed, there's still the trouble of having land babies with waterfowl mother and waterfowl "siblings". Ducks love water, while chicks don't have any protection against getting wet. If you have a pond, you'd risk leaving the chicks stranded on the shore while the rest of the family go for a swim.
 
Hi every one I have a question I’m new to own Muscovy ducks and silkie chickens… my question to you is that my duck layed some eggs and only one hatched some how I saw four more all over my back yard but unfortunately dead. Is there a reason why? What can it be

Thanks in advance 😊
 

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