Old fashioned Broody Thread for Ducks

[Miss Lydia]

Hey there all!

First time chicken/duck keeper here and hopefully an expecting grandma/mama of sorts. I have 3 broody birds! One chicken and TWO Khakis and I don't know what to do. About 98.9% of the time my two broody ducks are sitting on ONE nest (of about 20 eggs! Gah!) the rest of the time there is just one, is this really bad? I have heard a lot of contradicting things about letting birds go broody in the same place as other birds. Some say that other birds wouldn't even dare go near a mama's babes for fear of her wrath - where as others say its dangerous and the babes could be killed. Any ideas here?

I also hear khakis rarely go broody and usually get bored half way through (it's been about 2 weeks now) and they're impossible to move once they've made a nest. So I don't think separating them from the others / each other is possible at this point.. Any help? Thoughts? Comments/questions?

I was thinking of making three small pens and once the babes hatch separating them into those.. Not sure though..


(My two broody Khakis ^ ^)

(If you have time for a story - This girl was sitting on the eggs with one of the ducks originally. First it was one duck then it was two then it was a duck and my girl here and then she decided she wanted a nest of her own and is now sitting a few nest boxes down quite contently and the duck nest is back to two ducks.

No idea what to even think about this!)

Thanks for your time!!

Some times I think when they go broody they'd sit with a frog. LOL. If your ducks are getting along now they will probably share parenting skills too. I think it is sweet, I have had chickens share a nest before and share chicks with out any problems. I think your almost there so just sit back and relax and let mamas take care of everything. And be sure to keep us updated when the hatch begins. PS they sure are pretty girls all 3 of them.

 

[stonykill]

Some times I think when they go broody they'd sit with a frog. LOL. If your ducks are getting along now they will probably share parenting skills too. I think it is sweet, I have had chickens share a nest before and share chicks with out any problems. I think your almost there so just sit back and relax and let mamas take care of everything. And be sure to keep us updated when the hatch begins. PS they sure are pretty girls all 3 of them.

x2. I've only had 1 broody duck, but dozens of broody chickens. I think Miss L hit it on the nose!

 

[Going Quackers]

Hey there all!

First time chicken/duck keeper here and hopefully an expecting grandma/mama of sorts. I have 3 broody birds! One chicken and TWO Khakis and I don't know what to do. About 98.9% of the time my two broody ducks are sitting on ONE nest (of about 20 eggs! Gah!) the rest of the time there is just one, is this really bad? I have heard a lot of contradicting things about letting birds go broody in the same place as other birds. Some say that other birds wouldn't even dare go near a mama's babes for fear of her wrath - where as others say its dangerous and the babes could be killed. Any ideas here?

I also hear khakis rarely go broody and usually get bored half way through (it's been about 2 weeks now) and they're impossible to move once they've made a nest. So I don't think separating them from the others / each other is possible at this point.. Any help? Thoughts? Comments/questions?

I was thinking of making three small pens and once the babes hatch separating them into those.. Not sure though..


(My two broody Khakis ^ ^)

(If you have time for a story - This girl was sitting on the eggs with one of the ducks originally. First it was one duck then it was two then it was a duck and my girl here and then she decided she wanted a nest of her own and is now sitting a few nest boxes down quite contently and the duck nest is back to two ducks.

No idea what to even think about this!)

Thanks for your time!!

Aren't they cute! all i can do is share my experience.. all my birds share a barn, i keep the drakes locked up separately but the hens are nested in the same common area, when the babies hatch, i pen the area off with feed/water(plus lower bowls to suit young) and that is that.. i penned mum w/baby for a few days outside during the day then she grew fed up and ventured out so i let baby go with her, now her and the baby(4wks this friday) all forage with the flock.

Good luck!

 

[Going Quackers]

Be a good idea to candle. I hope something comes out of her sitting for so long,[ Like Ducklings]

well something did! we had one hatch late afternoon yesterday, my oldest got to 'witness' it lol i have no idea what else has happened.. massive rushed morning...

 

[Miss Lydia]

well something did! we had one hatch late afternoon yesterday, my oldest got to 'witness' it lol i have no idea what else has happened.. massive rushed morning...

Yippie!!! any news?

 

[Going Quackers]

Yippie!!! any news?

Well still just the one but we're all dried and wide eyed, about to upload pics now.. we are calling it rubber duckie, first of all looks just like one and second it's genderless lol

Looks like an all white baby which is none to surprising as these were Lilly's(all white bird) and i am fairly certain they are spots(black capped white drake)



There are 3 more eggs but who knows?

We seem to be a one chick wonder around here lol

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well still just the one but we're all dried and wide eyed, about to upload pics now.. we are calling it rubber duckie, first of all looks just like one and second it's genderless lol

Looks like an all white baby which is none to surprising as these were Lilly's(all white bird) and i am fairly certain they are spots(black capped white drake)

Exciting!!! I have a little rubber duckie too all yellow except for a small amt of blk on the tips of "Her" tail..

 

[Going Quackers]

Exciting!!! I have a little rubber duckie too all yellow except for a small amt of blk on the tips of "Her" tail..

LOL.. they truly look like one, it's almost scary. This one doesn't appear to have a single mark.. pure white but so teeny.

 

[Miss Lydia]

LOL.. they truly look like one, it's almost scary. This one doesn't appear to have a single mark.. pure white but so teeny.

Hopefully girls, mine is tiny too and 2 weeks old tomorrow, my other duckling is 6 weeks today and huge with thick legs so you know what that means. but he is already eating out of my hand, don't know if i could part with him or not. Just have to convince my other 3 boys that adding another boy isn't such a bad idea.

 

[Going Quackers]

Hopefully girls, mine is tiny too and 2 weeks old tomorrow, my other duckling is 6 weeks today and huge with thick legs so you know what that means. but he is already eating out of my hand, don't know if i could part with him or not. Just have to convince my other 3 boys that adding another boy isn't such a bad idea.

Ugh.. that is so disheartening, i really have not quite figured 'Junior' out yet, it's big but is feathering really fast more-so than the drakes i had last summer @ 3-4wks... It's hard to get a good picture, it's really scurry's off, it's keeping up very well and the other birds have accepted it nicely.

I can show a cute pic I got of it and mama and i am pretty sure dad(spot) I apologize for the largeness but it's hard to see otherwise and I didn't want to get to close and loose the short(just using my cell lol) Mama is right behind baby(Junior) and spot is to the right..