The Broody Duck Thread for 2014

[Yana931]

I think Muscovie are the greatest incubators...those little girls can hatch 20 duckling and if you know how small they are that is really something..I have some which will sit for me for 3 months if I just take the babbies out and put new eggs under her..Great moms too.Pekins? =CRAZY!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I just wanted to ask if there are any other broody duck breed other than muscovies. I don't mind the muscovies but their personality is a major turn-off.

What is wrong with their personality may I ask?

 

[121zues]

So it's the end of day 30 and still no more lil ducklings she's still sitting. Still very defensive. I candled the eggs again and they look about the same. I didn't hear anything but one of them looked like it had slight movement in the egg.

 

[bhj123]

What is wrong with their personality may I ask?

I didn't mean it to come out so blunt and I didn't intend to offend anyone. I have read they can be pretty aggressive towards other birds and animals. I have younger kids and didn't want there to be a possible scuffle.

 

[L0rraine]

Haven't been here for quite awhile, but thought I would jump on this thread as we may have runner ducklings hatching in a few days. Have avoided hatching for a few years because too much else was going on, but lost my favorite ducks over the past year (I hope from old age as both appeared to have died from natural causes - one in her nest and the other curled up next to the pool). I'm down to one drake and two ducks and one of the ducks has been sitting on 14 eggs for at least three weeks. It appears that one of the eggs may have an external pip so things could be imminent. I was going to separate the drake and other duck, but the distress caused seemed to potentially do more harm than good, so I've put them back together until I can figure out a less stressful plan. I imagine that I have a few days (tho I've seen eggs take days to hatch and other times just hours). If anyone has any insight on when a momma duck is ready to be on her own for a bit, let me know. I could potentially move my three silkie hens from the adjoining pen and move the other two ducks in there. Still need to get a low layer of hardwire installed ASAP as I've had ducklings get stuck in the chicken wire before (and assemble suitable temporary housing for the silkies) ...

 

[Miss Lydia]

I didn't mean it to come out so blunt and I didn't intend to offend anyone. I have read they can be pretty aggressive towards other birds and animals. I have younger kids and didn't want there to be a possible scuffle.

You didn't offend just wanted to know. lol My Muscovy's live with chickens and geese and they all mingle together fine. They all have their own sleeping quarters though. About the only time there is any problems is when I have broody's they can get cantankerous but that's with any female water fowl. Sometimes if the chickens get too close they will get feathers pulled but my LF hens can push back too. Drakes can get a bit nippy but from all I read on here that's with any breed of duck. I just love it when they wag their tails . My Scovy's pretty much stay to themselves and have never hurt any of my grandchildren I also taught my GC to not tease or chase the ducks/ geese or chickens too.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Haven't been here for quite awhile, but thought I would jump on this thread as we may have runner ducklings hatching in a few days. Have avoided hatching for a few years because too much else was going on, but lost my favorite ducks over the past year (I hope from old age as both appeared to have died from natural causes - one in her nest and the other curled up next to the pool). I'm down to one drake and two ducks and one of the ducks has been sitting on 14 eggs for at least three weeks. It appears that one of the eggs may have an external pip so things could be imminent. I was going to separate the drake and other duck, but the distress caused seemed to potentially do more harm than good, so I've put them back together until I can figure out a less stressful plan. I imagine that I have a few days (tho I've seen eggs take days to hatch and other times just hours). If anyone has any insight on when a momma duck is ready to be on her own for a bit, let me know. I could potentially move my three silkie hens from the adjoining pen and move the other two ducks in there. Still need to get a low layer of hardwire installed ASAP as I've had ducklings get stuck in the chicken wire before (and assemble suitable temporary housing for the silkies) ...

I know I say this alot but I feel it's best for mama and ducklings to have time to them selves. where the rest of the flock can't get to them, where they can all be seen to get use to each other but where the mama and duckling can just have time to bond and ducklings can get their legs under them good and grow a bit before having to deal with the other adults. I use the plastic poultry fencing from Lowes to cover any fencing with too big of hole so ducklings /chicks can't get caught. much cheaper than hardware cloth too. But if you don't lock your flock in secure housing at night and they stay in a run I'd go with hardware cloth. Sorry about your losses.

 

[Miss Lydia]

So it's the end of day 30 and still no more lil ducklings she's still sitting. Still very defensive. I candled the eggs again and they look about the same. I didn't hear anything but one of them looked like it had slight movement in the egg.

Just hang tight. Maybe reevaluate on the weekend by candling and maybe just maybe you'll have at least one more.

It's so hard to know especially when they keep sitting. Hows the lil one doing?

 

[121zues]

Just hang tight. Maybe reevaluate on the weekend by candling and may just maybe you'll have at least one more.    It's os hard to know especially when they keep sitting. Hows the lil one doing? 

I really hope to get some more we left at 5 this morning to go to the N.C. Zoo. We saw some of the coolest ducks ever. And as of this morning the baby is doing great the kids have named him Olaf from frozen. He's growing so fast! The sweetest thing ever!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I really hope to get some more we left at 5 this morning to go to the N.C. Zoo. We saw some of the coolest ducks ever. And as of this morning the baby is doing great the kids have named him Olaf from frozen. He's growing so fast! The sweetest thing ever!

I hope so too.