I have 8 hens, a rooster and a duck. The rooster has been amorous with EVERYONE - including the duck! She got broody on her eggs - which won't hatch - so I substituted some of the chicken eggs into her nest and she never noticed. When - if - these hatch in about a week, what should I do? Leave the chicks with her? Take them away and raise them separately? It was probably not a good idea to do what I did, but now it's in motion and I will have to deal with it in some way.
OH NO! Don't let her take the babies in the water! I would take the chicks when they hatch and put them in a brooder....
Late last summer one of my BO hens laid an egg in the duck nest. The Cayuga duck hen hatched out the BO chick and two of her own ducklings. I left the BO chick w/her for 3 days then put it w/the BO hen and her other chicks because I too, was afraid the duck hen would take the BO chick swimming. The great thing about it all was the BO flock and the ducks were all in the same fenced area so all the adult birds were excellent w/the chicks and ducklings
what if you temporarily take away her swimming water source while she has the chicks? then she could still raise them without the risk of drowning, and then you wouldnt have to put them in a brooder either?
