I just love this thread it is such a good idea! I’m a big fan of using broody hens, that is the only way I hatch my eggs, I don’t even have an incubator lol. In fact my blue fawn Call duck, Millie is broody right now on 6 eggs that are due to hatch on the 29th or so. I’m so excited! Last year my white Call duck, Angel hatched out 7 lil ducklings, she was such a good mom, right now she is still laying, gathering up her eggs before she to begins sitting on them just like Millie. So this year if all goes well I will have to good batches of new lil Calls. Plus my two Silkie girls just went broody so I ordered some Silver Laced Wyandotte fertile hatching eggs that I will be putting under them soon. I love using broodies weather they are chickens or ducks, when my first duck I ever had, Susie a mallard hen, went broody and was such a good mom I just knew that natural was how I wanted to go. Then my Sussex hen, Freckles went broody and seeing her take care of her lil one was so great, I couldn’t imagine doing it any other way.
Here are some pics
this is Freckles with her chick, who didn't even come from one of her own eggs lol
here is Angel with her brood of 7
this is my Millie on her nest if 6 eggs right now
here is Susie with her lil duckling
![]()
I love those ducks! The babies are absolutely adorable. I wish we had a bigger property - I would definitely have a few ducks. We have a small pond 5'x8' - but I don't think that would be much of a duck pond LOL!