Author Topic: Hatching runner ducks under broody hens (Read 4610 times)

sue_m · « **on:** May 22, 2011, 07:33:16 pm »

Hi
Hoping to get some help an advise. 4 of my broody silkies and pekings have been sitting on runner duck eggs for around 28 days. The duck eggs were given to me to try. Feel a bit silly now because the eggs are starting to hatch and i have no idea how to care for them. Do i just leave them with the broody hens to care for them? do i feed them? Have no idea what to do now. any advice would be great thanks

Womble · « **Reply #1 on:** May 22, 2011, 07:39:01 pm »

I'm no expert, but we did just that, and they've thrived. We just gave them non medicated chick crumb and a drinker with water just deep enough to get their bills in, and after a few days their heads. We were careful to keep them out of any deeper water until they were fully feathered, since Mum wasn't oiling them in the same way that a mother duck would.

Anyhow, to answer your question, the ducklings were all absolutely fine. The hen on the other hand is in serious need of counselling

.

sue_m · « **Reply #2 on:** May 22, 2011, 07:46:20 pm »

Thanks think my hens may get a bit of a shock later as well. So did you feed them straight after hatching?

CameronS · « **Reply #3 on:** May 22, 2011, 10:15:20 pm »

make sure there is food avaiable from the start (chick crumbs or similar) and the mother hen will feed them as and when

ballingall · « **Reply #4 on:** May 22, 2011, 11:37:00 pm »

Make sure you do as Womble says with the water- it is suprising how duklings can drown when they are wee. They are very vulnerablt to getting water logged if they have deep water. We once had a hen who was a great mother, and she once reared a big batch of Indian runners. She could hardly fit over them when they where about 4 weeks old, but she kept peservering to brood them.

That hen was the best mum I ever came across, she would rear 3 batches of whatever eggs you put under her a year.

Beth

Womble · « **Reply #5 on:** May 23, 2011, 07:19:35 am »

Yup, our broody bantam finally thew in the towel at the weekend, laid an egg in the duck house, and went back to the rest of the flock to be a chicken again. Mind you, so would I - her five babies are now taller than she is, yet still all tried to cram under her at night!!

northfifeduckling · « **Reply #6 on:** May 23, 2011, 02:54:29 pm »

I heard it can work pretty well. The "mum" might only notice that they are different when they try to swim somewhere , film the reaction and put it on youtube (TAS first, of course). Hens are better mums than ducks, so they will be warm and protected. I take it you will keep them seperate from any other adult birds and safe from predators. We lost a few ducklings to sparrowhawks in our first year when they went out too early.

Roxy · « **Reply #7 on:** May 23, 2011, 11:49:03 pm »

I have some duck eggs under a light sussex hen. One of our hens hatched some duck eggs out, and all was well, untl the day the ducklings wandered down to the small stream in the field, and discovered the delights of swimming. Poor hen was runnng along the bank calling to her ducklings. They did get out .....eventually.

Don't worry if the ducklings do not eat much, if at all, for a day or two. They will survive. Mum will show them what to do, and once they start eating, they can put some feed away!!