Will hens raise ducklings?

[DuckCommander]

I have a little call duck who I'd like to get ducklings from next year. I don't want her setting out near the pond (coyotes/fox dangers), would a duck let you move her nest? How do you think a hen would handle hatching ducklings, would she raise ducklings? If so, would she raise them healthy or would it be best to take them all away from her as they hatch?

 

[sourland]

I have used hens to raise ducklings any number of times. The only problems I have had is that some will not set the 28 days required to hatch mallard derived eggs. We used to have a little creek down at the bottom of our place. The hens would go berserk when their ducklings entered the water - running up and down the banks clucking like crazy.

 

[Amiga]

You are right to want to protect the call duck. Do you think she would not have a nest in the duck house? I realize some of them nest outside the predator-proof areas. But not always.

Some people build safe shelter around the nest.

Moving the nest often disrupts the brooding, you are right.

There are unanswerable questions whenever ducklings are hatched. Sometimes the duck gives up, or destroys eggs. Sometimes she mistreats the ducklings or neglects them. One needs to have a backup plan with an incubator and a brooder, from anything I have read here on the forum.

 

[DuckCommander]

Lol that sounds like it would be a funny thing to see!

I have some Old English Bantams that are very broody and hoping that they would do the job, I've seen them set for long periods of time (in middle of winter) on golf balls until I took the golf balls away...so the determination is there! All my other hens (Columbian rock, rhode island red and barred plymouth rocks) will be first time layers come March. So I'm crossing my fingers that the bantams will hatch them!

Just read the post about Call ducks being hard to inncubate and I don't think I'll even try because I did so poorly with my chicken egg attempts last year (with power outages and the works).

 

[DuckCommander]

You are right to want to protect the call duck. Do you think she would not have a nest in the duck house? I realize some of them nest outside the predator-proof areas. But not always.

Some people build safe shelter around the nest.

Moving the nest often disrupts the brooding, you are right.

There are unanswerable questions whenever ducklings are hatched. Sometimes the duck gives up, or destroys eggs. Sometimes she mistreats the ducklings or neglects them. One needs to have a backup plan with an incubator and a brooder, from anything I have read here on the forum.

I just assumed with her being a duck that'd she'd nest on the shore of the pond? I never thought of putting a shelter around her if she does....all depends on where and how close she would do it. ..I hope she'd do it in her evening shelter, but my ducks don't like get out of the pond to be locked up for the night, so I'm constantly worrying about them as is...

I think I'll take most babies away from duck or hen whoever hatch them and put them in a brooder box to ensure that they get big!

 

[Amiga]

Yes, hatching requires nerves of steel, from what I can tell. It is kind of a neat thought to have a buncha little call babies peeping around, though, isn't it?

Stay in touch! We all love to hear about how the ducks are doing.

 

[DuckCommander]

I'll keep in touch for sure. Unfortanetly its January and I'm in Canada and WAY ahead of myself! I just got excited when I got the new chicken hatchery catologs! lol. This won't happen till April-May for sure!

Just educating myself now! lol

 

[Amiga]

Ain't it something, the way those catalogs start to arrive, and there are so many gorgeous possibilities waiting?

I have to remind myself that thirteen ducks and three cats and about 2500 square feet of various and assorted gardens are pah-len-tee of projects this spring.

 

[duckins]

Yes 11 ducks 3 dogs 1 cat 4 teens I hubby and still have the baby duck itch my last batch only been outside for 3 wks. Lord help me their so sweet.

 

[DuckCommander]

My little farm consists of 4 cats, 2 dogs, 25 chickens, 2 ducks, a goose, 8 horses and two babies on the way, on top of my own baby due in May and the garden to boot! I really don't know why all I can think about is babies, chicks, ducklings, foals and gardening right now lol I am gunna have my hands full!