to remove or not remove the chicken eggs in my mallards clutch?

[Paintedhorsegirl]

My noticed today my little broody Mallard is still laying eggs in her clutch, but she has been on her nest for 8 days now..Also besides the 8 duck eggs, she has 2 chicken eggs in her clutch...She can barley fit all those eggs under her, should I start removing the new ones or let her keep laying until she stops on her own. Do I leave the 2 chicken eggs, I think the chicken eggs have been under her for 6 or 7days now...Also if i leave the chicken eggs, when the chicks are born will Shirley(my mallard) take care of them as her own?

 

[NajmoNests]

Good mama duck

but I would remove chicken eggs. Chickens hatch in 21, ducks in 28. Duck might throttle the chicks. MHO I've done chickens on duck eggs, but not the reverse. Has anybody else here hatched chicks with a duck hen?

 

[shelleyd2008]

Considering that chicken eggs hatch a full week earlier than duck eggs I would remove them. Especially since mama duck will take 'her' babies (chicks) swimming and they'd probably drown.

I just saw the part about her still laying? If she is truly broody she won't be laying, so either she is NOT broody or something else is laying eggs in her nest.

 

[hippiehen]

In past experience, ducks do not accept a peeping little chick and you'll have to raise it, which you can do if you want. Just be sure you snag them right when they hatch! Of course then you have to worry about only one hatching, lone chickies aren't very happy.

I just took four chicken eggs from under my broody duck last night - luckily I have a broody hen to put them under instead!

 

[Paintedhorsegirl]

Im going to seperate Shirley from the flock tomorrow and then at least Ill see if its her eggs or not that keep getting laid there.. My guess is that they are only cause she hasnt left the nest but twice a day for 8 days. She leaves to eat and thats it and she only leaves for a couple of minutes at a time. If I go in the hen house she starts squaking loud and seems to panic a little, like she dosnt want me near her nest..Ive noticed if one of the other birds goes near her then she squakes at them too. Maybe I will let her hatch the chicks and then seperate them right after, i dont have any broody hens otherwise I would put them under one. I dont know, I just cant decide what to do...My daughter and i incubated and hatched chicks this past fall and only 1 survived.( my husband was left in charge of the 2 day old chicks and accidently unplugged heating lamp for a whole day, the other 4 died...

). I feel so bad for my little chicken thats now 4 1/2 months old, She had been living in an indoor brooder until a few weeks ago..She is so scared of the other chickens, she wants to be in with us. I messed her up because she sees us as her family not the other birds. I dont want to do that again. Im trying to socialize her in with the flock slowly, I dont want her to get hurt....