Using a broody hen for duck eggs

[duncb75]

I would never do it again. We used our docile friendly Orpington to hatch out three Silver Appleyard Duck eggs. This was in a secure broody coop. On the 28th day out hatched two of the cutest ducklings we'd ever seen. The hen was intent on not leaving the nest to hatch the last egg. We assumed she knew what she was doing and had read that it can sometimes take up to 30 days for duck eggs to hatch. Anyway on the morning of the 30th day I found one of the ducklings dead with it's bill all crushed and broken. The poor thing must have died in agony. It had been fine an hour earlier. We'd often see this duckling outside the nest and the hen peck at it gently to get it under her. I can only think the hen intent on sitting on the remaining egg, flipped and no longer recognised the duckling as her own. We removed the last remaining egg and found it had no life in it. The hen seems to be acting motherly towards the remaining duckling now but it's worrying as we know what she is capable of. We wanted to warn others because it has been horrific. We'd never use a hen to hatch out ducklings again.