4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[shoesforpigeons]

Hi, i have a broody hen that has been broody for about and week and a half now - we have tried to get her out of it but to no avail. so we have decided to buy some duck eggs of the internet to let her hatch, as we decided that we would quite like a couple of ducks as well. can a chicken foster ducks? do they turn the eggs naturally as specified on forums that you must do up until day 25. will my chicken stay broody long enough to hatch the eggs?

 

thanks in advance for all advice

[Falkor]

ooh I would be interested in the responses to this

 

I know of three little ducklings recently hatched under broody bantams but I was wondering if it is best to remove the ducklings and pop in the brooder or can the hen raise them?

[Guest]

Hi

 

Yes you can pop duck eggs under your broody hen, thats how I got my Aylesburys. A silkie hen sat on the eggs she was a good mother and they stayed with her for I think it was about 3 weeks.

 

Duck eggs take about 30 days to hatch etc...good luck indie

[Lesley]

Indie is right - they will be fine under a hen, they get a bit upset when the ducklings head for water though!! The ducklings won't be waterproof for a few days though - the duck usually waterproofs them during that time, until they are able to do it themselves. Make sure their water is shallow until you know they are waterproof.

 

28 days for ducks to hatch.

[Falkor]

Ok....so the little ducklings had to be removed from the hen as she started to peck then

 

They are now in a brooder with chick crumb and shallow water and it sounds like they are coming to live with me for a bit! Just a short holiday.

 

I am going to pop into to town now to see if our very small waterstones has a book on ducks but in the meantime is there anything that i should do differently from chickens for ducklings?

 

Em

x

[Lesley]

Hi Em

 

No, the same as for little chicks. Just be careful with their water, use a shallow dish and add some stones or pebbles. Chick crumb to eat....and they will probably still need some heat at night and on cold days.

 

Have a look at the Practical Poultry forum if you can't find a book - lots more duck keepers over there.

[Falkor]

Hi Em

 

No, the same as for little chicks. Just be careful with their water, use a shallow dish and add some stones or pebbles. Chick crumb to eat....and they will probably still need some heat at night and on cold days.

 

Have a look at the Practical Poultry forum if you can't find a book - lots more duck keepers over there.

 

Thanks Lesley Got crumb and chick drinker

 

The Prac. Poultry forum is a bit scarier than here! But I will tootle back in there. Providing they haven`t de-registered me cos I replied to a "red-mite in wooden house" thread with get a To say I got shouted down is an understatment

[Guest]

Hi Palmer

 

Into ducks now ..? they are very sweet babies.

 

The broody my neighbour used never hurt the ducklings at all..in fact she was most upset when they were taken away & was depressed silkie chicken she was fiercely protective of her adoptive ducklings(a bit sad really)!

 

They will need as already mentioned a small amount of water which as the weeks go on can be made to be a wider shallow container especially if ie they are to go swimming on a pond!

 

A friend of my husbands bought a load of new ducklings and put them out on a huge pond for his childrens birthday party and when they came out they were all drowned as they had not been waterproofed( he assumed as they were ducks they would be ok) They were devastated.

But as long as they have regular access to water they will become waterproofed via the little preen gland at their tail end. Thats why it looks like they are cleaning themselves..oil gland. Once you have kept ducks everything about them is a bit oily!Gloopy sort of

 

Good luck what types are they and how many have you got coming to stay indie

[Falkor]

They are appleyards and there are four....at the moment

 

One of them has been quite badly pecked by the hen and has a wound on it's head...not bleeding but "wet" apparently. It is being treated at the moment.

 

These eggs were not expected to hatch as the broody kept leaving the eggs but looks like nature was on the ducklings side.

 

I think they will be here until we can find them a good home. I would love to keep them but with my chook numbers increasing and my garden size staying the same i don`t think it is wise

 

Thanks for your help Indie....I am sure I will have more questions thought!