My duck hen adopted week old ducklings

[Anime2lover]

I had a duck sitting on eggs for a little under 30 days, and 1 week old ducklings next to her brooding cage. She made the decision to adopt those week old ducklings over sitting on her still viable egg. So we let her have those older ducklings, which she is fiercely protective of. She practically tore my skin when I tried to pick one up today. So now I have a viable duck egg in the incubator, and a really happy momma duck outside with her week old adoptees.

 

[Miss Lydia]

So precious

 

[Anime2lover]

So precious

Are ducks known to adopt older ducklings? She went from sitting on one viable (still is, will likely hatch any day now) egg, to looking after six 1 week old ducklings.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My Muscovy did they were her sisters[2] and when they gave up mothering when the ducklings were 3 weeks old my Muscovy who had 5 of her own took on her sisters five so she ended up with 15 ducklings.
It just depends on the duck some just seem to have that wonderful mothering instinct others not as much. Let us know how it goes when this little one hatches.

 

[Anime2lover]

My Muscovy did they were her sisters[2] and when they gave up mothering when the ducklings were 3 weeks old my Muscovy who had 5 of her own took on her sisters five so she ended up with 15 ducklings.
It just depends on the duck some just seem to have that wonderful mothering instinct others not as much. Let us know how it goes when this little one hatches.

If it hatches I will try and remember to post a pic of him/her. My Rouen seems to be an excellent first time mother. Though she did abandon her viable egg for older ducklings...

 

[Miss Lydia]

And she now is back sitting on it?

 

[Anime2lover]

And she now is back sitting on it?

No, she had abandoned it. That's why I took it in the first place. It was alive yesterday, but it seems it wasn't to be. The duckling died before hatching at some point during the night.

 

[Anime2lover]

The egg never hatched, so she never got the chance to actually hatch her own. However, she is doing great with her six Cayuga adoptees. These pics are of Quacker's with her adopted littles.

 

[Miss Lydia]

She looks like shes smiling! Just wait till they become teenagers!

 

[Anime2lover]

She looks like ages smiling! Just wait till they become teenagers!

Lol. At least I won't have to reintroduce her to the other ducks alone