Two mama ducks

[Patriciaosborne]

Hi. I have two welsh harlequin ducks sitting on their own nests side by side. One duckling hatched today and is staying with its mama waiting for the others to hatch. The second female has now left her nest and has moved over to share the nest with the other mama and baby. I’m not sure what to do. They are not aggressive with each other but I’m afraid the second mama won’t go back to her own nest.

 

[sourland]

She very likely feels like the duckling is hers, and duck hens are programmed to leave the nest within 24 - 36 hours after the first duckling hatches. Do you have an incubator?

 

[Patriciaosborne]

I don’t but will locate one. She is just sitting on the nest with the other mama. I thought about taking the eggs and putting them in the one nest that they are both sitting on. Would that work?

 

[Miss Lydia]

How many eggs total?

 

[Patriciaosborne]

How many eggs total?

5 total in the abandoned nest and probably 10 in the other

 

[Patriciaosborne]

I went ahead and put the five eggs into the other nest and now both females are sitting on the one nest. Hopefully it all works out

 

[Miss Lydia]

Only problem I see is trampled ducklings when hatching gets underway any way you can make a divider so mama and duckling and her eggs are on one side mama and her eggs on the other?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I hope so too.

 

[Patriciaosborne]

Only problem I see is trampled ducklings when hatching gets underway any way you can make a divider so mama and duckling and her eggs are on one side mama and her eggs on the other?

That makes sense. I can try that. Thank you. The first duckling was there at 7 this morning but no other ones yet. Is that normal?

 

[Crazy Maizie]

That makes sense. I can try that. Thank you. The first duckling was there at 7 this morning but no other ones yet. Is that normal?

Yeah, it can happen that 1 hatches a bit earlier than the rest. Good luck with your brood!