Will a chicken stay on extra for duck eggs to hatch?

[CoopsNPoops]

Yes, some chickens absolutely can tell the difference in an odd egg. Not all chickens are this new dumb, clueless, domesticated chickens of today that have lost most of their basic survival instincts they were originally installed with like they're portrayed to be. I'm not saying that most hens wont brood duck eggs, i was just trying to prepare that it's a possibly that she may not. And yes, some hens can and will portray them as bad eggs if it takes to long to hatch. I didn't mean exactly 21 days, i just meant as a reference. All Avian species have these instincts whether its portrayed much anymore with certain species or not. Again, not that it's common, but it is a possibility.

 

[Huntmaster]

chickens can't tell duck eggs from chicken eggs from golf balls from round stones. If they go broody and commit to it, they'll try and hatch babies from lego! OK not lego but you catch my drift.

I've successfully hatched ducks from chicken broodies many many times. They also can't count, so they'll sit til they hatch or aren't going to. They don't know 21 days from 28.

Is she sitting on any other eggs besides the ducks?

I have had broodies hatch out 2 sets of eggs after taking first little ones from them and just setting more eggs under them and they will sit till they hatch /, don't beleave they can count days.

 

[Chicalina]

Yes, some chickens absolutely can tell the difference in an odd egg. Not all chickens are this new dumb, clueless, domesticated chickens of today that have lost most of their basic survival instincts they were originally installed with like they're portrayed to be. I'm not saying that most hens wont brood duck eggs, i was just trying to prepare that it's a possibly that she may not. And yes, some hens can and will portray them as bad eggs if it takes to long to hatch. I didn't mean exactly 21 days, i just meant as a reference. All Avian species have these instincts whether its portrayed much anymore with certain species or not. Again, not that it's common, but it is a possibility.

Anything is a possibility, including good broodies and not so good broodies, but my experience with many different breeds of chicken is that they know the difference between a good egg and a bad egg when it comes to hatching time, but not the difference between species of egg.

Honestly, to a chicken an egg is an egg.

 

[Emelyn]

How long did she wait for a clutch before she started to brood? In other words, how many eggs is she sitting on, aside from the duck eggs you added? The refrigerated eggs "can" hatch, but with drastically lower chances. The unrefrigerated 2 have a pretty high probability of hatching if they are fertile. As for continuing to sit on them after her own hatch, that's really up to her. But it's unlikely. Once hers hatch, she will be ready to care for her own and consider the unmatched duds or a loss after only a couple days. She may even kick them out of the nest all together. Being duck eggs take much longer than the 21 days for her, i don't see it. You will likely need to incubate them for the rest of the time they have left.

You were right when I checked the refrigerated ones weren't fertile but the other 2 were.