Old fashioned Broody Thread for Ducks

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks for the advice. I've got one girl Daffy behind the house and the other in one house, there is an empty one that no one is using (go figure) Do you think the mamma's should be separated from each other for a few days once hatching begins?
Or since Buttercup is a few weeks behind and dutifully sitting that she might be too busy to care?

You know your ducks better than any one. I just know once hatching began my mama ducks wanted no one around her or her ducklings. Butter cup may sit tight but wonder how Daffy will react, but if they aren't close together now I think all should be okay.

 

[Ren2014]

(For the life of my I cannot figure out how to start a new post)
I have only had one broody hen in the past with no male in the flock so I always went out with my marker and poked them with dots one two and three and would rotate out eggs as I would take them.

But I'm hoping for some help. I have two new girls that went broody a khaki Campbell and my Cyuga female. I've only got one male my khaki Campbell. Anyhow, my Cyuga has been sitting for about 4 weeks and I'm a little excited for the new babe's to get here. She's got only 3 eggs. I snuck one away and candled it. It's got to be around 22 days ish.I really thought it had been over a month. The egg was completely dark except for the little air pocket. I was in a hurry because i didnt want her to catch me messing with her nest, but didn't feel or see any movement whole holding it. So I'm thinking they should hatch in about 5 days or less I'm thinking.
My Khaki Campbell female has 8 eggs that I can count but her nest is pretty dang deep so there could be more.I guess she took a que from her female buddy and was like ya let's make babies!
I've heard of 1st time mom's killing babies and drakes also killing sometimes as well. Does he need to be pulled out of the flock for now? What can I do to keep them from being killed?

I had a Swedish hen hatch 14 babies and she raised them amongst everyone else, drakes included. She was a very protective momma and didn't let anyone near them. I would pen her and her babies up separately at night. I now have a Muscovy momma raising 20 amongst everyone else, drakes included also. She is very protective as well and runs anyone off that even looks her babies way. Raising them all together is risky but I have kept a very close eye on them. The drake is penned separately at night.

I would suggest you watch them closely and be prepared to separate immediately if needed.

Quote:

You know your ducks better than any one. I just know once hatching began my mama ducks wanted no one around her or her ducklings. Butter cup may sit tight but wonder how Daffy will react, but if they aren't close together now I think all should be okay.

X2

 

[Ren2014]

Hello again. So, of the 13 eggs i took from my duck, 10 were viable, and they all hatched. Yay! It ended up being a staggered hatch, over 9 days (Silly ducks laying in someone else's nest). However, I had to help the last three ducklings out, and I think they were the wrong position to hatch. Do you think it might have been because the humidity fluctuated during incubation?

YAY! Congratulations! It could have been the humidity. Especially over a 9 day staggered hatch. At what point did you have to assist? Internal pip? External pip??

 

[addarr]

Thanks ladies! Here's hoping it goes well!

 

[susan251]

YAY! Congratulations!  It could have been the humidity.  Especially over a 9 day staggered hatch.  At what point did you have to assist? Internal pip? External pip??

External pip for all. That was as far as they could get. There were too many legs and wings in the way for them to chip further. I tipped one out bum first. . Very cute

 

[ashca]

Hi there!!
I hope it's ok to jump in here!! I was just looking for a bit of advice if anyone can help?
I had a duckling hatch out overnight last night and this morning she was underneath her mum all fluffed up I thought things were going great until two hours later the duckling was left outside on its own and my other ducks haven't taken a liking to her either
We tried separating the duck and the duckling from the rest but the duck just got into a state wanting back to the other ducks and ignoring its baby.
So basically the duckling is inside at the moment, fine and well but as you can imagine very lonely. I have another duck due to hatch her eggs in the next couple of days and I just wondered if and how I could go about putting the lonely duck in with her and her babies? Is this something the other mother duck is likely to accept? Or have we sealed out fate for the next few weeks to having a house duckling? Any advice from anyone who has experienced anything like this with their ducks is so much appreciated. Thank you.
Ashley.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi there!!
I hope it's ok to jump in here!! I was just looking for a bit of advice if anyone can help?
I had a duckling hatch out overnight last night and this morning she was underneath her mum all fluffed up I thought things were going great until two hours later the duckling was left outside on its own and my other ducks haven't taken a liking to her either

We tried separating the duck and the duckling from the rest but the duck just got into a state wanting back to the other ducks and ignoring its baby.
So basically the duckling is inside at the moment, fine and well but as you can imagine very lonely. I have another duck due to hatch her eggs in the next couple of days and I just wondered if and how I could go about putting the lonely duck in with her and her babies? Is this something the other mother duck is likely to accept? Or have we sealed out fate for the next few weeks to having a house duckling? Any advice from anyone who has experienced anything like this with their ducks is so much appreciated. Thank you.
Ashley.

You could try slipping the duckling under your broody now and see how it goes. Because some ducklings begin hatching before others. Just put your hand over the duckling to cover it and slip it under stand back and see how mom behaves. She may accept it she may not If she doesn't I'd say you have become a new mom yourself. We had to do it once and it was awesome .

 

[ashca]

Thank you Miss Lydia, took the little baby out with me just now to put the ducks to bed, tried sneaking her in with the broody but unfortunately she pecked and pushed her out so looks like I am officially a duck mum for now anyways!! Will try again in a couple of days when the next ducklings hatch. I love having her in the house but would really like her to be with other ducklings and have some friends instead of just human companions. But thank you for your help!!xx

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you Miss Lydia, took the little baby out with me just now to put the ducks to bed, tried sneaking her in with the broody but unfortunately she pecked and pushed her out

so looks like I am officially a duck mum for now anyways!! Will try again in a couple of days when the next ducklings hatch. I love having her in the house but would really like her to be with other ducklings and have some friends instead of just human companions. But thank you for your help!!xx

Well @ashca it was worth a try. If you have a mirror that doesn't have sharp edges put that and a stuffed animal in with the duckling the mirror will help it feel like it has a friend and let it see itself so it will know the other ducklings when you put it out and the stuffed animal will make it feel more secure.

Forgot to say Welcome to BYC please let us know how it goes.

 

[tmorgan46]

@ashca Not all is lost. We had one out of 25 eggs hatch in an incubator. His name is Uno. He still wants to be an inside duck, but with as many as we have, he needed to be with his own kind. And he and I liked completely different TV shows, and me with the opposing thumbs, won the remote control war... JK
Anyhow, a couple of weeks later we had a Momma duck hatch a clutch of eggs and unfortunately, Mr Fox showed up and made all those little 'lings orphans. We brought them in as well as we couldn't get a duck to take over the little squirts. Once they started filling out with their adult feathers we put them in with Uno, who still hadn't figured out he's a duck and now the five are inseparable!! They hang with the "big kids" but really stick to themselves more than anything. So, there's light at the end of the tunnel and it's good. I'm sure in a week or so once you have some new ducklings, you'll find a way to integrate your little one with the rest.