Using a broody hen for duck eggs

Treehill Farm

In the Brooder
7 Years
May 2, 2012
39
0
22
Hi all!

I have a broody hen that is desparate to hatch something. My roo is still a baby and not ready to meet that obligation. I do however have ducks laying everywhere and am wondering if anyone has ever used a broody hen for duck eggs?
 
Not entirely sure that I need more ducks but it would be nice for her. God only knows what the ducklings would be Ancona/Blue Swedish?
Cayuga/Khaki? Or any other variation of those 4. Could be some strange looking quackers!
 
I have heard and tried once ( no luck) but it was just for fun to slip one egg under my broody hen .. I read to take a warm squirt bottle and lightly mist the Duck eggs once a day as they require a little more humidity than chickens .. I Did this faithfully but it didn't hatch it might have been a dud I never candled it as she was sitting on other eggs and was trying to be as less intrusive as I could be .
 
I've used broody hens to hatch out ducklings and guinea keets several times successfully and we usually start peafowl eggs under a chicken. If nothing else, it definitely wouldn't hurt to give it a try.
Good luck
thumbsup.gif
 
I had a hen long ago that hatched a litter of ducklings. She did good with them but had a fit when they went swimming. She started pecking their webbed feet so I took them away
 
When I was a kid I had a Silkie hen that hatched out some ducklings for me and she did great with them until she took the to the pond for a drink and they thought it was time to swim. Seeing her run circles around the pond having a fit at them for swimming was one of the funniest things I belive I have ever seen with my chickens. She was truly mad that her baby ducklings had went swimming. Once the got out of the water she was fine, but this became a daily occurance until she finally just started standing there watching them as they swam.
 
When I was a kid I had a Silkie hen that hatched out some ducklings for me and she did great with them until she took the to the pond for a drink and they thought it was time to swim. Seeing her run circles around the pond having a fit at them for swimming was one of the funniest things I belive I have ever seen with my chickens. She was truly mad that her baby ducklings had went swimming. Once the got out of the water she was fine, but this became a daily occurance until she finally just started standing there watching them as they swam.
 

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