I have a mixed breed bantam hen that went broody a few weeks ago. I took her eggs and replaced them with call duck eggs. She hatched one herself ( out of 8 ) but contienued to set on the remaning eggs. After 2 days I decided that the rest of the eggs were probably no good. But when I was picking the eggs up to throw them out, one started moving! I could hear peeping and there was a small pip! So I helped it out and put it in my incubator. When I went back to the nest I found another egg that was alive! I did the same for this egg and put it in my bator. But the duckling that I had left with the mom ( the one that hatched by its self), some how got out from under the hen and got chilled and died But I still had the other two duckling. When those two duckling dryed off and got a bit older I tried to introduce them back to the mom. But she didn't seem to interested in caring for these two babies. However she was interested in setting some more eggs. So I gave her some more call duck eggs. They are due to hatch today! When I checked on them this morning there was two already out of the eggs! So my question is, should I leave them with the mother hen or take them and brood them myself? is a chicken hen even able to raise duckling?
Quote:I would take them, this mother has shown that she doesn't want to raise ducklings. I boils down that some will and some won't. Once had a hen that tried to raise kittens, mother cat would drive her off but the first chance she got she would be right back with the kittens.
