The Broody Duck Thread for 2014

[holm25]

I have yet to own a broody duck I think they hate me!!

 

[holm25]

And we have not had a fertile egg in day's our drake leaves our hen alone he has been with drakes and one hen his whole life OH great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[121zues]

Nope now you need to think how can i keep her and duckling safe till all hatch and they can have some privacy. Chickens will kill a newly hatched duckling if it gets out of the nest it has happened many times from what i've read on here. Can you somehow use chicken wire i like the plastic chicken wire from Lowes it's so easy to put up and take down. or some scrap boards just something to give your broody and her ducklings their own space till hatch is over, then move her and ducklings to new coop or put everyone else in new one and leave mama and babes where they are. Don't try to move her now she is attached to that space as much as she is to the eggs. Keep enough room in side so the broody can have fresh water and feed and you might want to either take her out 1X a day or fix it so she can go out when she wants too. which ever is easiest. when is hatch day? She needs to be able to bathe and get rid of that broody poop some place besides the nest. 

Sunday is hatch day. She is able to come out whenever she wants to and usually come out in the morning and takes her bath and eats and goes back to her nest. I can partition her off from everybody else till they hatch. How soon after she has the babies can I move her?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sunday is hatch day. She is able to come out whenever she wants to and usually come out in the morning and takes her bath and eats and goes back to her nest. I can partition her off from everybody else till they hatch. How soon after she has the babies can I move her?

You can move them as soon as hatch is over just make sure mom can't get back to original nest site. They act crazy sometimes. Close her and ducklings up for 24 hrs. then open the door so she can take them out if she wants to. and take some of original nesting material with you they are attached to it too.

 

[121zues]

You can move them as soon as hatch is over just make sure mom can't get back to original nest site. They act crazy sometimes. Close her and ducklings up for 24 hrs. then open the door so she can take them out if she wants to. and take some of original nesting material with you they are attached to it too. 

so should I separate her from everybody or just the chickens?And she already acts crazy lol

 

[Miss Lydia]

so should I separate her from everybody or just the chickens?And she already acts crazy lol

I separate from everyone, drakes can kill ducklings and ducks can be mean to if not their own. Separating just gives mama and ducklings more time to bond and ducklings time to grow and get their legs under them good. Not everyone does this but why not play it safe and not have heartache if you can avoid it? when I say separate everyone can still see each other but there can be no contact. I have a small coop that use to be for the chickens before chicken math got me I fence around it and use it as my hatching house and 3 week grow out house.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have yet to own a broody duck I think they hate me!!

What breeds do you have?

 

[121zues]

I separate from everyone, drakes can kill ducklings and ducks can be mean to if not their own. Separating just gives mama and ducklings more time to bond and ducklings time to grow and get their legs under them good. Not everyone does this but why not play it safe and not have heartache if you can avoid it?  when I say separate everyone can still see each other but there can be no contact. I have a small coop that use to be for the chickens before chicken math got me I fence around it and use it as my hatching house and 3 week grow out house. 

I'm sure I can figure out a way to separate from everyone. These ducks are driving me crazy but they are so much fun. The one that was in the nest with her hasn't laid me an egg today I wonder if she's gonna try to go broody on me too. I have another one and I haven't found an egg from her in 4 days she was laying in the woodshed but all of a sudden she quit. I've been looking everywhere for it and I finally found one today she's been breaking out and laying under a bush about 50 yards away but it was just one egg I wonder If something is stealing them. I think I'm gonna put a fake egg out their I don't mind where she is laying that's where they will be ranging once the chicks start laying I just don't wanna lose my eggs.

 

[luvmypets]

What are the most broody frequent ducks...i know muscovies and call are... We are yet to have a broody we have six swedish and one cayuga

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'm sure I can figure out a way to separate from everyone. These ducks are driving me crazy but they are so much fun. The one that was in the nest with her hasn't laid me an egg today I wonder if she's gonna try to go broody on me too. I have another one and I haven't found an egg from her in 4 days she was laying in the woodshed but all of a sudden she quit. I've been looking everywhere for it and I finally found one today she's been breaking out and laying under a bush about 50 yards away but it was just one egg I wonder If something is stealing them. I think I'm gonna put a fake egg out their I don't mind where she is laying that's where they will be ranging once the chicks start laying I just don't wanna lose my eggs.

and you don't want to lose any ducks either, if they even try to brood anywhere other than in a secure place break up the nest. it isn't worth it. Snakes, rodents and other preds love eggs. and fresh on the webbed foot ducks too.