Should I give duck duckling?

[Hybridchucks]

If you do think the eggs are dead, you could try giving her a duckling. Sometimes they will accept them - I had a friend that just gave an incubator hatched baby to a mother with other babies and she took it eagerly.

It would be best to do it at night when she is sleeping. Swap out the eggs for the newly hatched ducklings and when she wakes up she will hopefully think they hatched under her overnight and accept them.

Be prepared though that she may reject them and you might have to raise them yourself, or there is the small chance that she might attack them Make sure you are also giving her a very young duckling that is still young enough to imprint on her.

x2!!!!!

 

[Hybridchucks]

Try it, I think it will work!

 

[Ravynscroft]

Would she keep sitting on them if the babies are deceased?

Most likely, especially if she is a determined broody... and if she interacted with the 1 month olds that well, and tried to get them to follow her as their mama, sounds like she would be receptive to adopting some day old ducklings... personally, I wouldn't just get 1, if it doesn't work out you don't want to have to brood a singleton... 3 is my preference, just in case 1 doesn't thrive there's still a buddy for the other...

Given that she trusts you as well, I would go ahead and try it... leave the eggs under her when you slip the ducklings in... then remove the eggs after she takes the ducklings off the nest... good luck!

 

[Bills vs Beaks]

Let us know what happens!

 

[cityducks]

We candled all the eggs and three showed something. So, I put just those three back in the nest and decided to give them one more week.

This morning . . .

WE HAVE DUCKLINGS HATCHING. Two of the three so far!!!

 

[Hybridchucks]

We candled all the eggs and three showed something. So, I put just those three back in the nest and decided to give them one more week.

This morning . . .

WE HAVE DUCKLINGS HATCHING. Two of the three so far!!!

Congrats! Are they they the same eggs?

 

[cityducks]

UPDATE (5//6): Well, after all three babies failed to survive and my husband helped nurse the wounds, I made one call "just in case". There were baby female Cayuga's at Pioneer Feed. She "had ordered them on a whim on Monday and they had just gotten there this morning." Oh and, "she hadn't advertised this group for some reason yet, so they should be there when I got there, but come quick, because even unadvertised they'll go fast." One friend had canceled coming over, another friend checked in and asked if I needed to put our get together on hold, and John hadn't left for Portland just yet but was headed out the door, or I wouldn't have been able to leave (we have one car). So, we loaded up with me putting my shirt on in the van.

We bought three, robust, sweet baby ducklings for Mama duck (for cheaper than just about anywhere else). Hardy, Cheap-ie, and Grace. Mama does not seem more than a little interested yet which is a bit disappointing, but I'm going to try again. Two of them when grown will go to Craig's house to help with snail's and slugs after Craig traps the racoon. The third well keep and add to our flock (which now includes one mama, two four-ish week old (one of which is male), and three three-day-olds).

PS -- I called every feed store after just to see if they had any Cayuga's after we got the three "just to be sure" and none of them do or will until "end of May" or "end of June."

---- The duck drama needs to end. I'm stopping now. One more prayer Mama takes these three under her wing today.

 

[DwayneNLiz]

We had a mama duck whose eggs appeared to have developed to term, but then did not survive and hatch. Mama duck will be fine? Or would it be bad to give her a day old duckling from the store?

UPDATE (5//6): Well, after all three babies failed to survive and my husband helped nurse the wounds, I made one call "just in case". There were baby female Cayuga's at Pioneer Feed. She "had ordered them on a whim on Monday and they had just gotten there this morning." Oh and, "she hadn't advertised this group for some reason yet, so they should be there when I got there, but come quick, because even unadvertised they'll go fast." One friend had canceled coming over, another friend checked in and asked if I needed to put our get together on hold, and John hadn't left for Portland just yet but was headed out the door, or I wouldn't have been able to leave (we have one car). So, we loaded up with me putting my shirt on in the van.

We bought three, robust, sweet baby ducklings for Mama duck (for cheaper than just about anywhere else). Hardy, Cheap-ie, and Grace. Mama does not seem more than a little interested yet which is a bit disappointing, but I'm going to try again. Two of them when grown will go to Craig's house to help with snail's and slugs after Craig traps the racoon. The third well keep and add to our flock (which now includes one mama, two four-ish week old (one of which is male), and three three-day-olds).

PS -- I called every feed store after just to see if they had any Cayuga's after we got the three "just to be sure" and none of them do or will until "end of May" or "end of June."

---- The duck drama needs to end. I'm stopping now. One more prayer Mama takes these three under her wing today.

sorry they didnt make it

is she now sitting on an empty nest or did she give up when they died?