please help with new hatchling advice

[Stacey Adele]

So, this is a little complicated. I went to collect 2 hens and a drake this afternoon who needed to be rehomed. We have 2 hens and 2 drakes already (3 are 3 months old, 1 is 1 year who was integrated seamlessly a couple of weeks ago). When we arrived we were surprised with the news that one of the hens has been sitting on eggs! Owner said they thought they would not hatch as it was past their expected arrival date, but they hatched today! One was still wet! I didn't know what to do! We ended up bringing the 3 adults and 2 of the ducklings home. We raised our first 3 from a day or two old (we were told) so it seemed manageable. However, now momma duck is upset! I'm worried her stress is really going to prevent both small flocks from integrating nicely. I don't know what to do! Our options are to raise the ducklings in the house (garage once they're a little bigger) using a heat source without their momma, OR separate mom and duckling together, either in a 6 sf quine pig cage (with no lid) or a 6 or 7 sf brooder in the garage, OR have mom and ducklings in the coop with other ducks and chickens, either safe from the other birds or so mom can move around. (predators aren't really a concern in any scenario). I don't know if there is a really a best option here or we just need to pick one.

 

[Stacey Adele]

If ducklings stay with mom, how do they even have a safe water source that she won't knock over?

 

[Miss Lydia]

So, this is a little complicated. I went to collect 2 hens and a drake this afternoon who needed to be rehomed. We have 2 hens and 2 drakes already (3 are 3 months old, 1 is 1 year who was integrated seamlessly a couple of weeks ago). When we arrived we were surprised with the news that one of the hens has been sitting on eggs! Owner said they thought they would not hatch as it was past their expected arrival date, but they hatched today! One was still wet! I didn't know what to do! We ended up bringing the 3 adults and 2 of the ducklings home. We raised our first 3 from a day or two old (we were told) so it seemed manageable. However, now momma duck is upset! I'm worried her stress is really going to prevent both small flocks from integrating nicely. I don't know what to do! Our options are to raise the ducklings in the house (garage once they're a little bigger) using a heat source without their momma, OR separate mom and duckling together, either in a 6 sf quine pig cage (with no lid) or a 6 or 7 sf brooder in the garage, OR have mom and ducklings in the coop with other ducks and chickens, either safe from the other birds or so mom can move around. (predators aren't really a concern in any scenario). I don't know if there is a really a best option here or we just need to pick one.

If you can put mom and ducklings together in a safe place do that, she sat for 28 days she deserves to raise these ducklings. Your going to have to let everyone meet and greet separately any way, especially adults. Of course she is upset. Make a waterer for ducklings and one for mama sit the one for mom up on something so the ducklings can't get into it. One for ducklings can be made using something like a cool whip container and place holes in the lid so the ducklings can drink but not climb inside. Something similar to this but with smaller holes to start then enlarge as they grow.I used a coffee can for mom but I did end up putting it up on 2 bricks side by side because ducklings can jump. What breed are your new ducks?

 

[Stacey Adele]

We have a waterer for hatchlings that we used for both chicks and ducklings this spring. And I put stones around the base so the ducklings can't drown in the half inch of water. I'm just worried mama will tip it. I've put the ducklings with their momma, as well as the other 2 birds she came here with. I watched them for a long time. The other two birds are not showing any aggression toward the ducklings. I'm worried mom doesn't really know what she's doing (it's her first time).... or is just generally stressed, because she kept walking away from the nice fresh dry area I set up for her and the ducklings, and they were following her all around in the damp (fortunately it's quite hot but going down to 20 C/68 F tonight)! So I set up a heat lamp for them and they eventually settled under it. Mama is with them now but not sitting on them. Of course now I'm worried this is because it's too hot for her under the heat lamp and I'm just needlessly interfering. They are separated by a fence from the other ducks. Everyone is much more settled than earlier, but still on edge.
When it's time to let these ducks free range (we let our last new addition out to free range after 36 hours and the original 3 took great care of her, making sure she stayed close), do I need to keep this momma cooped up so she doesn't encourage her young ducklings out into the world? I really didn't intend to have to keep anyone locked up! When I made the decision to bring 2 ducklings home, I really thought we would raise them ourselves.

 

[Stacey Adele]

How much space does a momma duckling need when confined with her ducklings? If it's more than a brooder size, then this is the best I can do (without completely separating them).

 

[Miss Lydia]

I keep my mamas and ducklings inside the coop with everyone I just set up a small area for over night and let them have free range of the coop during the day for their first week after that mama and ducklings get to have time outside but still separated with fencing for another week then At 3 weeks mama and ducklings are with everyone else. I am over protective since someone in my flock years ago killed a chick and I didn't want that to happen again. So I intergrate slowly as far as everyone being together. You have moved these ducks to a new home and mama has just had a hatch so most likely all your seeing is stress from moving and hopefully she'll settle down. All you should need to do is provide food and water and watch to make sure she is caring for them, most ducks don't sit on their ducklings the duckling will gather around her or slip under but mama ducks aren't like chickens where the chicks will huddle under or mine never have any way.
If you want to take the ducklings and raise them without mama, that is your decision. I just think of how upset the mama was being moved to a new home and then her ducklings were gone.
I have had to remove ducklings from a mama who wasn't caring for hers so I know it has to be done at times.

How are things this morning?