Raising multiple broods together

[dablaw]

Heres the situation...I have 3 cayugas that decided to nest and one mallard as well...One Cayuga laid in the corner of one of our barns, one in a flower bed, and one behind the garage..The mallard has nested about 20 feet from our pond, so I'm assuming she will do like most mallards and just take them to the pond on her own..
One of the Cayugas nest has already hatched out with 6 babies so I got momma and babies and moved her to a sectioned off area of the chicken coop...there were two eggs left so I moved them as well because there werew some rotten ones in the old nest and just thought Id give her a chance to hatch them..So shes in the coop sitting and taking care of babies...Now some of the other nests have babies too and running around all over..My question is can I put all three mommas and all the babies together? or is this just asking for trouble? My gut says dont do it but wanted some other opinions or experiences...We live in the country so we have predators on the ground as well as in the air...Im thinking just remove all the babies and put them together with either the one momma thats in there already, or just remove all mommas and just have the babies together, but again didnt know if the mommas will just stare and hang around the coop agravating them...Suggestions from someone that has gone through this please.. Thanks, David.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Heres the situation...I have 3 cayugas that decided to nest and one mallard as well...One Cayuga laid in the corner of one of our barns, one in a flower bed, and one behind the garage..The mallard has nested about 20 feet from our pond, so I'm assuming she will do like most mallards and just take them to the pond on her own..
One of the Cayugas nest has already hatched out with 6 babies so I got momma and babies and moved her to a sectioned off area of the chicken coop...there were two eggs left so I moved them as well because there werew some rotten ones in the old nest and just thought Id give her a chance to hatch them..So shes in the coop sitting and taking care of babies...Now some of the other nests have babies too and running around all over..My question is can I put all three mommas and all the babies together? or is this just asking for trouble? My gut says dont do it but wanted some other opinions or experiences...We live in the country so we have predators on the ground as well as in the air...Im thinking just remove all the babies and put them together with either the one momma thats in there already, or just remove all mommas and just have the babies together, but again didnt know if the mommas will just stare and hang around the coop agravating them...Suggestions from someone that has gone through this please.. Thanks, David.

I wouldn't put mamas and their babies together your gut feeling is right, and mama duck most likely won't accept the others babies unless you can slip them in when she is up nomming around but why would you take the ducklings away from their mothers? I usually only have 1 duck raising ducklings at a time and I use plastic poultry fencing to make small yards for them with a small coop in it for night time protection and safety from the rest of the flock. How many ducklings running around loose? How many babies does mama duck who is in the coop have. You may get it to work taking the ducklings away but then how will you keep them all warm mamas do so much better than we do.

 

[dablaw]

Well everthing us humans do is always wrong so i opened up the coop and let them all out..The other Cayuga momma with babies brought hers off the nest as well and went to the pond all together now one has an extra baby of the others and all the males females mommas and non mommas are all guarding them and watching over them..now they are all kinda together getting settled in for nightfall..lol..Go figure...