Setting both duck & chicken eggs under broody hen~UPDATE:BOTH HATCHED!

[Sunny Side Up]

We're trying an experiment here. I have a collection of mixed-breed bantam hens that like to go broody, and one of them has already successfully hatched batches of duck eggs. Another one has recently gone broody, so we're going to try something new & give her both duck & chicken eggs to incubate at the same time.

The hen's name is Cookie and she's already settled into her private broody quarters on a comfortable cozy nest. This morning I took 3 fresh eggs from my Khaki Campbells and swapped them for the little bantam eggs she had been incubating. She tucked all 3 duck eggs far beneath her and did the "chickie-cha-cha" to position them well.

Next Sunday, which will be Day 8, I will give Cookie 3 chicken eggs to add to her clutch. They should all hatch together on Day 28, which will be Day 21 for the chicken eggs. Which, coincidentally, will be Mother's Day!

It's been interesting watching Cookie's sister Biscuit raising her broods of ducklings. She is a fierce & devoted Mama hen to them, and the ducklings are attatched to her, cheeping to her and cuddling up under her feathers for warmth. But they don't respond when she scratches in the dirt for food & clucks to them to eat it, and she doesn't share their enthusiasm for playing in their pan of water. I think it will be fun to watch Cookie as she tends to both chicks & ducklings, and interesting to watch the way they interact.

Has anyone else tried doing this? I'll keep you updated as to our progress!

 

[sourland]

I've hatched and raised ducklings under chickens. The first time the ducklings would find the small stream that ran through our property, the hens would go into an absolute panic. Racing up and down the banks of the stream calling to the ducklings. Never tried a mixed hatch under a hen, but had a muscovy that inadvertantly hatched ducklings and two chicks. Needless to say, the chicks got wet and chilled and died.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Our bantam Biscuit is currently caring for her second batch of ducklings. Her first batch are thriving adults and seem none the worse for wear for having spent their early days with a chicken. Biscuit tended her ducklings until they were big & gawky 6-week-olds. You know how fast ducklings grow up, and they were soon bigger than their bantam Mama. At 6 weeks she flew over the fence of the pen to rejoin her other chicken pals. The ducklings were fine on their own after that.

I could see where it would be hazardous for a chick to be raised by a duck near the water. But it doesn't bother the ducklings to be in the dust & dirt around the chicken hen. They just stare uncomprehendingly at her when she takes her dust baths and scratches in the dirt. And she doesn't share their enthusiasm for the pan of water I keep in their pen. That's why I thought Cookie would enjoy raising both ducklings & chicks together, so she could have a few kids with whom she can relate to better. I just hope she won't be nagging her ducklings by saying "Why can't you act more like your sisters and take a decent dust bath & scratch for your food?"

 

[Sunny Side Up]

All right, I added the 3 chicken eggs to Cookie's clutch this morning. She's secluded in a roomy place with no distractions, with her nest in a corner in a straw-filled plastic crate. She's got the full-bore Broody Buzz on. She'll growl & trill at you when you approach close, but isn't too fierce with her pecking at you. I haven't bothered her by trying to candle the duck eggs she's begun, she seems to be doing a good job and I know the eggs are fertile. Now we just need to wait & hope for another 21 days.

Cookie's sister Biscuit is still doing well with her 5 ducklings, although they have grown to almost half her size and just want to play in their pan of water all day long. I'm going to move them to a larger pen soon and put another new chickie mama in her little cage with her one little chick.

Stay tuned...

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I miscounted the due date, they were due to hatch tomorrow, which would have been Day 28 for the duck eggs & Day 21 for the chicken eggs. But it seems that eggs hatch a day early under broodies, and today Cookie has 2 ducklings & 2 chickie babies! There are still 2 eggs left, one of each kind, but they might be duds. I listened to them but couldn't hear any peeping or crunching. No visable signs of pipping. So we'll just wait & see until tomorrow morning.

Late Wed night I could hear Cookie clucking to her eggs. That's usually a good sign that the babies are ready to hatch. And last night I could hear the cheeping & peeping from the eggs, which were beginning to pip. Today she was on lockdown, not moving at all from the nest. Early this morning there was a chick already out, dry & fluffy & alert. There were 2 duck eggs & another chicken egg pipped. The next time I checked late this afternoon there were a dry duckling & another chick added, and I saw the 2nd duckling push out as I watched.

So far everyone is getting along just fine. Cookie is treating both the ducklings & the chicks with the same tender lovin' care, and the babies are snuggling in all together. I think it will be interesting to see how they all act once they start going out together. I wonder if the ducklings will take their cue from the chicks and learn to come when the hen scratches up treats & clucks to her children to gather near. Or if their duck instincts will override that, and they'll stand off to the side asking each other "Is she talking to US?" and wondering just WHEN Mom will take them for a swim!

Meanwhile, Cookie's sister Biscuit has left her great big ducklings. They're almost 5 weeks old, getting gawky & gangly, and certainly as big or bigger than their lil' banty Mommy. Earlier this week Biscuit scooted out of the pen as soon as I opened the gate and has rejoined the bantam flock as they free-range around the yard all day.

I do have photos, but I'm afraid you'll just have to come over here to see them...

 

[vnploveschickens]

Congrats! This sounds so sweet......please post some pictures!