Need help!

[ducklover87]

I have 6 Pekin ducks, 3 boys and 3 girls. My girls won't sit on their eggs and i've tried everything. I've tried the golf ball trick, using their own eggs, fake eggs, everything and still nothing. So I was thinkin about getting a chicken because I heard that they will sit on the eggs and hatch them. However, i've never had a chicken before so i'm not sure how my Pekin's would get along with a chicken or if you can even have chickens with the pekins. Will my Drakes hurt her? Would I be able to have her free range (my pekin's free range) or should I keep her in a pen?

 

[pichuris]

Are your girls young? My pekin girl was a year old in May and she just now started sitting on her eggs last week. I was wondering the same thing but maybe it has to do with age?

 

[RoosterAddict99]

I don't have ducks...yet so, I don't know how broody they generally are. But, if you want to hatch your own chicks, I would reccomend a silkie hen. You can't free range silkies though and you probably shouldn't keep her with the pekins because they might gang up on her. Good luck!!!

 

[ducklover87]

They aren't quite a year old yet. Hmmm idk maybe. This is my first time having ducks so i'm not really sure either.

 

[ducklover87]

How old would the Silkie Hen have to be would you think? Well I have a pen that my Pekin's don't use but it's only bout like 4 foot high maybe 4 1/2 would that be high enough?

 

[pichuris]

How old would the Silkie Hen have to be would you think? Well I have a pen that my Pekin's don't use but it's only bout like 4 foot high maybe 4 1/2 would that be high enough?

Well in my experience it can be when they start laying to 4 years old. I just recently had a Rhode Island Red who is 4 years old get broody for the first time this season. I've also had a broody hen at 30 weeks.

They aren't quite a year old yet. Hmmm idk maybe. This is my first time having ducks so i'm not really sure either.

Well Pekin ducks are not typically known for their broodiness. They are really for meat production in general. So when my Pekin gal started sitting on them I was honestly shocked.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

not all ducks will be broody just like not all chickens will be, although some breeds seem to be more broody than others.

 

[nickie]

I have a few points I would like to make, but first I need to say that this is by no means an attack.

Having 3 drakes with 3 ducks is about 2 too many. Drakes are brutal during mating especially when there is competition around. With that ratio expect to see your hens over mated and possibly injured or drowned.

Pekins are not known to be very broody, but it does happen (I have a very broody one). When they do hit the magic number of eggs and decide to set them they may not put up with being disturbed at all. Even fiddling around in a nest that's empty is enough to get one of my girls to set up shop somewhere else.

What do you plan to do with ducklings you hatch? Just because people say they want them doesn't mean they follow through. Are you going to butcher them? Drakes are hard to rehome. Dumping them is illegal in most, if not all, places, not to mention wrong.


Like I said, not an attack, but please think before you hatch. Just because they are little and cute those first few days doesn't mean they will have a happy safe suck life.

 

[ducklover87]

I have a few points I would like to make, but first I need to say that this is by no means an attack.
Having 3 drakes with 3 ducks is about 2 too many. Drakes are brutal during mating especially when there is competition around. With that ratio expect to see your hens over mated and possibly injured or drowned.
Pekins are not known to be very broody, but it does happen (I have a very broody one). When they do hit the magic number of eggs and decide to set them they may not put up with being disturbed at all. Even fiddling around in a nest that's empty is enough to get one of my girls to set up shop somewhere else.
What do you plan to do with ducklings you hatch? Just because people say they want them doesn't mean they follow through. Are you going to butcher them? Drakes are hard to rehome. Dumping them is illegal in most, if not all, places, not to mention wrong.
Like I said, not an attack, but please think before you hatch. Just because they are little and cute those first few days doesn't mean they will have a happy safe suck life.

I got my ducks from tractor supply I had to buy 6 it just turned out to be 3 and 3 not much I could really do with that one. I plan to keep my ducklings so that my flock can become bigger. Why would you say anything about dumping them? I took that to be a little rude. I'm sure it does happen but they are my pets and i'd never do that. I personally never even thought about anyone dumping a duck. That's never even crossed my mind. I'm sorry if any comments seem rude or mean but I took that more personally than intended I guess.

 

[ducklover87]

It seems things have gotten off topic. I'm just wonderin if a chicken will lay and hatch my duck eggs?