My broody hen hatched ducklings! UPDATE: Chicks are hatching! w/PICS!

[D'Angelo N Va.]

very cute...how does she react when they go to the water?

 

[SAORSA]

Would the baby ducks be ugly chicklings, or would the baby chicks be ugly ducklings in the eyes of the coop members ?

 

[funfeatheredfeet]

This is soooooooooooo cool and sooooooo cute! Now I want ducks (sigh......) hahahah, it never quits! I just love how they follow her, so precious!!

 

[farmgirl77]

I REALLY want my banty cochin to hatch something. She lays about ten eggs that look like ping pong balls and then immediately goes broody for A LONG TIME. This is not good for me to read! Congratulations, they are so cute.

 

[ctaynton]

D'Angelo N Va. :

very cute...how does she react when they go to the water?

She doesn't seem to be bothered by it. She just doesn't want us around them AT ALL! Very protective mother!​

 

[ctaynton]

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These are my first ducks and first broody hatch so I am pretty excited about it! Definelty try ducks...they are fun if you have a place for them

 

[ctaynton]

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I also had put chicken eggs underneath with the duck eggs and once the ducklings hatched, she wouldn't set on the chicken eggs anymore. Good luck! Is that a buff orpington? Ducky is beautiful!

 

[Cowgirl71]

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Yes, she is a Buff Orpington from McMurray. She's my brother's pet chicken. He smiled when he read your last sentence.

She doesn't seem to miss the ducklings at all, which I guess is good, as she won't be raising them (I'm giving them to a friend to raise). She was perfectly content to return to her nest and finish the chicken eggs. I just hope her being off of the eggs so much so late in the game will be okay... I do have a Golden Laced Wyandotte and another Buff Orpington sharing a nest of about 25 chicken eggs due to hatch tomorrow!

I sure was happy with the 100% hatch rate with the duck eggs! I thought maybe one or two would hatch, or even zero. Boy am I impressed with this hen.

I do have a question: Is it normal for broodies NOT to peck me? I've had about 15 hens go broody this year, and only one of them ever tried to peck me. I always thought that's part of it, but maybe not...

 

[Cowgirl71]

Now the chicks are hatching!

Here's Ducky with a couple of her new babies! Six out of seven hatched!

And here's my other two broodies with a few of their chicks!

 

[allieloveschickens]

they are so adorable! I love the two mommy hens together with their babies! <3