The Broody Duck Thread for 2014

[kms1122]

Hello All!

Last year we had success with taking eggs and putting 10 eggs in the home made incubator. Resulted in 6 beautiful Rouen. Added them to the gang after a few weeks in the house. This year the girls took charge. Two piles of eggs in the nesting boxes, 2 hens sit in one box and 1 very vocal lady in another box. It's been about a month so I think it may be game on soon. Noticed a change in the sounds they were making this morning. Low & behold by reading this thread change in sounds is part of the process.

Here is the 1st question: Can we take the newborns and raise then inside like we did the 1st batch that came mail order and then the incubator babies or is that a no-no? Have no idea how to successfully separate then without getting them upset. If the past my husband would get in the coop and set up the barrier prior to bringing the babies out at 3 weeks but when he gets close, one or two of the hens get up & leave the coop.

So, can we take over after they hatch or MUST we separate and let mom's take over? The nest with 2 ducks is maybe a week or so ahead of the other nest.

I say 1st question with anticipation of others to follow...

Please share your wisdom with these accidental duck owners!

Thanks in advance.

 

[ringaring]

My 2 Moms have 9 ducklings between them. Tomorrow someone experienced with ducklings is taking 5 and the rest are moving to a separate area with the Mom who laid the 1st eggs. Hopefully the 4 youngest will have an easier time of it without the older ones to compete with and only one pair of adult feet to dodge. I posted some doubt about Runner's mothering skills; now I am sure: if they weren't domesticated, they'd be extinct due to lack of duckling rearing skills. Both mothers didn't even seem conscious the little ones were underfoot as they walked around. Luckily the ducklings seem pretty tough - no injuries. Wish me luck.

 

[lbrykowski2011]

Was hoping for an updated pic today, but cloudy, maybe tomorrow. The ducklings are 5 days old now. When would it be safe to put in a small pool of some sort? I was gonna use a rubbermaid lid so it's big enough for 16 babes but only 2 inches deep so no one drowns.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Was hoping for an updated pic today, but cloudy, maybe tomorrow. The ducklings are 5 days old now. When would it be safe to put in a small pool of some sort? I was gonna use a rubbermaid lid so it's big enough for 16 babes but only 2 inches deep so no one drowns.

That lid sounds ideal they can get in and out safely too. have fun and pics soon i hope. Oh by the way what do you plan on doing with your large flock now?

 

[Miss Lydia]

My 2 Moms have 9 ducklings between them. Tomorrow someone experienced with ducklings is taking 5 and the rest are moving to a separate area with the Mom who laid the 1st eggs. Hopefully the 4 youngest will have an easier time of it without the older ones to compete with and only one pair of adult feet to dodge. I posted some doubt about Runner's mothering skills; now I am sure: if they weren't domesticated, they'd be extinct due to lack of duckling rearing skills. Both mothers didn't even seem conscious the little ones were underfoot as they walked around. Luckily the ducklings seem pretty tough - no injuries. Wish me luck.

I'm glad they've made it. Pics when you get time.

 

[lbrykowski2011]

That lid sounds ideal they can get in and out safely too. have fun and pics soon i hope. Oh by the way what do you plan on doing with your large flock now?

There's a few people from the Mi thread that wanted some, that's why I had them, but not sure on this many. I am on the Mi fowl site and go to a nice flea market here also. Sorry if i offend anyone on this, but muscovy are nice meat ducks, any extra males would provide a very healthy (I raised n know what they ate) meal for my family. I have 2 football/wrestlers @ high school age, you can imagine the food we go through and they need to eat healthy. Thanks for all the advice, it seemed like such a long road and couldn't have learned and got through all this without you and a few others help

 

[QuackAttack]

Did you ever get a response as to whether or not a brooding duck hen will sit on another duck's eggs put into her nest when she stops laying???? Just curious. Our brood Indian runner hen stopped laying after I removed her eggs on day 2 of her nesting.....now I just want her to start laying again. Put her flock mate's eggs into the empty nest past two morning, but the maternal instinct appears to be gone. What to do?????

Alaska Quack Attack

 

[Miss Lydia]

Did you ever get a response as to whether or not a brooding duck hen will sit on another duck's eggs put into her nest when she stops laying???? Just curious. Our brood Indian runner hen stopped laying after I removed her eggs on day 2 of her nesting.....now I just want her to start laying again. Put her flock mate's eggs into the empty nest past two morning, but the maternal instinct appears to be gone. What to do?????

Alaska Quack Attack

If a duck is seriously broody you can put any egg in her nest and she'll stick. Sounds like your just going to have to let this run it's course. I have 2 that have no eggs but are still broody and sitting on nothing ones been at it over 3 months.

 

[ringaring]

9 Runner ducklings (mostly I think)
Parents: female Blue Runner + White Runner Drake or Blue Runner Drake or KC/Rouen Drake.
5 are 9 days old and 4 were hatched 2 days ago. The yellow one in the front, Raggedy Ann, is the smallest. She runs with the others but spends a bit more time on her back flailing her feet in the air - can't quite make it up some of the bigger hills the other ducklings climb. The 5 older ones are leaving today = less competition for food & water. What a difference a week makes!

 

[mymoneypit]

Maybe this is the right place to ask this, Duckie has decided it's time to sit. She is sitting on one infertile egg, or, possibly, nothing at all. She spent some time in there yesterday feathering the nest, and isn't getting up at all today.

I have 12 ducklings I picked up that hatched sunday, so they are 3 days old. Would it be too soon to try and stick a couple under her? My other option is to get a couple eggs and let her hatch chickens. This is her first time going broody, she's a little over 11 months old.

She was nesting under my porch last month, but we messed that one up and she left it pretty easily. This time, she is in her house, in the nest box. Which is a great spot, and I don't want to make her not want to use it in the future.