What to do once ducklings hatch from under mama?

[happy duck]

Hi! So I posted a thread of a countdown till my ducklings hatch here. But many people didn't see it and I have a question about what to do with the ducklings when they hatch. I have several suggestions and maybe yall could tell me what works best.

When mama first went broody I didn't close the coop door(she is in the coop) and the other girls laid in her nest for about 4-5 days until I realized that her nest was getting bigger and she wasn't laying the eggs. Well now...all the eggs are going to have different hatch dates(with a span of about 5 days). Because I am not...sadly...keeping any(due to interbreeding) they are all going to homes. I was planning on keeping them with mom until they all hatch and then give them to their new family but thinking that hatch dates are going to be spanned over several days I will want to get the ducklings to homes before they are 5 days so the new fam will be able to enjoy them while they wee little. My plan is once a duckling hatches keep it with mom for about 24 hours to that it can get fluffy and then put it in a brooder and give them to homes as they hatch. I just don't know if that is a good plan. Will mom neglect the nest if I start taking ducklings out of the nest before all of them hatch? What if just one hatches way before the others...it would be alone in the brooder for who knows how long and it would be waiting to go to a new home. Also when all the ducklings are in the coop with mom I would be giving them duckling food but should I wait to give them food when they get in the brooder(if that is I even put them in a brooder)? I would love yalls thoughts on this and would really really appreciate it!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Pull them as they hatch to keep the hen on the nest, otherwise most will leave the nest 2 days after the first hatches. You also don't want to leave them to bond with the hen too much as it can make them more wild. Good luck removing them without injury. What breed is the mom?

 

[happy duck]

Pull them as they hatch to keep the hen on the nest, otherwise most will leave the nest 2 days after the first hatches. You also don't want to leave them to bond with the hen too much as it can make them more wild. Good luck removing them without injury. What breed is the mom?

Thanks so much for answering! Okay that sounds like a great plan! Mom is a buff and very tame. I was down in the coop with her yesterday petting her and telling her not to be sassy me. She doesn't love being pet but can tolerate it. She is a buff so is not skittish or anything(which helps tons). Thanks so so much for your help!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That's good. Mine are muscovy and they are vicious mommas.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You can wait also to feed them until they are in the brooder. Are you letting mom keep one or two?

 

[happy duck]

That's good. Mine are muscovy and they are vicious mommas.

Yeah that does sound really bad!

 

[happy duck]

You can wait also to feed them until they are in the brooder. Are you letting mom keep one or two?

I can let her keep the last 2 that hatch but they will need to go to their family’s about 4 days at the most after they are born. I am not sure what to do once all ducklings have hatched. Will mom go back to normal or will I need to destroy the nest?

 

[Finnie]

I can let her keep the last 2 that hatch but they will need to go to their family’s about 4 days at the most after they are born. I am not sure what to do once all ducklings have hatched. Will mom go back to normal or will I need to destroy the nest?

I’m curious as to why you can only let her raise them for four days?

Edit: never mind I see above that you just want the new families to bond with them as wee babies. Still, if you don’t have a family already lined up for the last few, you could let Mama enjoy the fruits of her labors until a family comes along.

 

[happy duck]

I’m curious as to why you can only let her raise them for four days?

Edit: never mind I see above that you just want the new families to bond with them as wee babies. Still, if you don’t have a family already lined up for the last few, you could let Mama enjoy the fruits of her labors until a family comes along.

Ok that sounds like a great plan! I really was hating the idea of taking them away from her once they are born. She has worked so hard for this and I want her to enjoy it. So for the ones that I don’t take away I should just feed in the coop with mama?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I can let her keep the last 2 that hatch but they will need to go to their family’s about 4 days at the most after they are born. I am not sure what to do once all ducklings have hatched. Will mom go back to normal or will I need to destroy the nest?

Your mom duck will be depressed. That's why I asked if you were leaving her something. Some times they linger, sometimes they move off. I had one lose her single duckling. It was sad to watch. Best to pull ducklings quickly to alleviate the stress. Once she bonds it's way worse on them.