Premie duckling?

[WVduckchick]

So I have discovered! Even the duck who sat, abandoned her clutch after 2 weeks. But we did get 4 healthy ones although with our luck, they'll all be drakes.

My first broody Call hatched 12 of 15 eggs. My second is currently on her 2nd clutch, due in a couple of weeks. She gave up on her first clutch after about 2 weeks, I finished some of them in the incubator (including my avatar, now 2 months old). My third broody's ducklings are due any day now! I checked them a night or two ago and they look very close.

 

[farmfreshhens]

Then there is HOPE! I was really discouraged after this go round. Our ducks are young though so I was hoping that might have been why she left her nest. Do you separate the drakes when your ducks are setting?

 

[WVduckchick]

Then there is HOPE! I was really discouraged after this go round. Our ducks are young though so I was hoping that might have been why she left her nest. Do you separate the drakes when your ducks are setting?

The one that hatched 12 was a first timer, barely a year old. She was taken by a predator just a couple of weeks ago. we also lost 7 of the ducklings. (3 had already died due to cold or accidents within the first couple of weeks, so I only have 2 of those left)
She was sitting in a little log house inside my duck's pen. I never blocked her off until after the ducklings hatched, she could come and go as she pleased while incubating. Then I fenced off an area around the opening for about the first week and slowly let her introduce the others to her babies. She was a fierce momma!

The one that is due any time found a spot in my yard, behind my baby-chicken grow out coop. I'm figuring on doing the same for her. The third is between my fence and the young duck's swimming pool. They pick the oddest places!

But to answer your question... I would advise slow, supervised introductions. Drakes are unpredictable. They can be wonderful, or they can be brutal and want their girl back! Much depends on the rest of your flock dynamics.

 

[farmfreshhens]

The one that hatched 12 was a first timer, barely a year old. She was taken by a predator just a couple of weeks ago. we also lost 7 of the ducklings. (3 had already died due to cold or accidents within the first couple of weeks, so I only have 2 of those left)
She was sitting in a little log house inside my duck's pen. I never blocked her off until after the ducklings hatched, she could come and go as she pleased while incubating. Then I fenced off an area around the opening for about the first week and slowly let her introduce the others to her babies. She was a fierce momma!

The one that is due any time found a spot in my yard, behind my baby-chicken grow out coop. I'm figuring on doing the same for her. The third is between my fence and the young duck's swimming pool. They pick the oddest places!

But to answer your question... I would advise slow, supervised introductions. Drakes are unpredictable. They can be wonderful, or they can be brutal and want their girl back! Much depends on the rest of your flock dynamics.

We have one drake who is an angel but the other is on my last nerve! He could be a problem.
We have had a predation issue as well. I lost 9 of my hens in the past 2 weeks. Turned out to be a feral Tom cat! I wouldn't have thought a cat could run off with a Bielefelder hen but he did...and after eating a black star!

 

[WVduckchick]

We have one drake who is an angel but the other is on my last nerve! He could be a problem.
We have had a predation issue as well. I lost 9 of my hens in the past 2 weeks. Turned out to be a feral Tom cat! I wouldn't have thought a cat could run off with a Bielefelder hen but he did...and after eating a black star!

Wow! That must be one big mean tom cat!
I'm sure it was raccoons that got my ducklings. Was a couple nights later it got the momma. But I've trapped and killed 2 raccoons, 1 opossum, and 1 groundhog since the incidents. In 3 years, my only other losses have been 1 chicken to a fox (neighbor shot the fox the next day) and I've lost a few to hawks. Otherwise, everything had been secure. Its such a bummer to lose any.

Good luck with your drakes. You will just have to test them and see how they do. Plan ahead for possibly having to separate them though.

 

[farmfreshhens]

Wow! That must be one big mean tom cat!
I'm sure it was raccoons that got my ducklings. Was a couple nights later it got the momma. But I've trapped and killed 2 raccoons, 1 opossum, and 1 groundhog since the incidents. In 3 years, my only other losses have been 1 chicken to a fox (neighbor shot the fox the next day) and I've lost a few to hawks. Otherwise, everything had been secure. Its such a bummer to lose any.

Good luck with your drakes. You will just have to test them and see how they do. Plan ahead for possibly having to separate them though.

Thanks! Will do.
We had a owl fly off with my drake a year ago, but other than that, no issues until now.
We still have the traps set but haven't caught anything else. Thank goodness!
He was one of the biggest Tom cats I've ever seen and marked very much like a coon, which is what we thought was doing the killing.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

@casportpony @Wyorp Rock @Farmer Connie this is so sad... I bet he was cute!

Sorry, I have zero experience with Duck eggs.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

Sorry, I have zero experience with Duck eggs.

your pic is a duck! so just a guess