Author Topic: Chicken eggs under ducks. (Read 3388 times)

MAK · « **on:** July 10, 2012, 05:44:05 am »

Our chickens have never been broody and the coq has been very active. I have slipped 6 eggs under a muscovey duck and these should hatch before her own eggs.
Do you think I should return any new born chicks to the hen shed or let them stay with the ducks?

jaykay · « **Reply #1 on:** July 10, 2012, 06:42:56 am »

I think they'll need a 'mum' for a while or the other hens would finish them off, so I'd leave them with her.

I suppose the only issue will be when 'mum' takes to the water. I've only ever done it the other way around and the look on the hen's face was priceless when all her charges slipped into the garden pond and paddled about

And then of course I had to fish them out as they'd have had little waterproofing and sunk!

Sylvia · « **Reply #2 on:** July 10, 2012, 07:36:37 am »

I would have a heat lamp and safe pen ready and when chicks have hatched take them away and rear them separately. If you have a hen gone broody at that time, even if she has only just gone broody, pop them under her at night.

Womble · « **Reply #3 on:** July 10, 2012, 07:52:02 am »

If she is sitting on her own eggs as well, then I think you'll have to take away the chicks. If you don't, then I'd have thought she'll the nest with them after a few days, thus killing the nearly hatched ducklings?

MAK · « **Reply #4 on:** July 10, 2012, 08:04:07 am »

mmm thanks everyone.
I'll remove them as soon as they hatch.
We have had hens 18 months and they have never shown the signs of going broody.
It's July - do we really need a heat lamp?
What if I sat them in hay or straw in their own little box - with water and chick crumb ? Do they really need a mum? I know the battery chicks just get chucked on the barn floor.

in the hills · « **Reply #5 on:** July 10, 2012, 08:52:55 am »

They will need a heat lamp .... all day and night for the first few weeks and then turn off for short periods during the day when it feels warmish. Then leave off during the day and when feathered at about 6-8 weeks it can be left off at night. You can also slowly raise the lamp every few days to start to harden off the chicks and some lamps have a half power setting.

They will need to be nearly fully grown before being put in with your existing flock. Hens can be very spiteful and may even kill the chicks.

Womble · « **Reply #6 on:** July 10, 2012, 01:17:35 pm »

Hiya,

If you don't already have a heat lamp, personally I'd get an 'electric hen' heat pad instead. It will cost a little more than a heat lamp, but the energy consumption is so much less that it will pay back in just a couple of uses.

HTH!

MAK · « **Reply #7 on:** July 10, 2012, 09:00:39 pm »

Many thanks - we now have a lamp and have plans to keep them away from the ducks and adult chickens. We gave away a heat mat when we left the UK but have read up on how to change the bulb wattage, position and space for the chicks to move into warmth or out to cool. All we need to do now is have the eggs hatch.

Brijjy · « **Reply #8 on:** July 11, 2012, 08:29:03 pm »

I've just had experience of this, chicken eggs under a muscovy and it didn't go well. The duck was sat on her own eggs plus a couple of hens eggs that had been laid under her. She hatched off the chicks ok but then she killed them and got off her own eggs. I didn't actually see her kill the chicks but I found them in the nest and they were broken. Said duck is now back with the drake. However she is starting to follow the 9 orphan baby muscovies around.

MAK · « **Reply #9 on:** July 11, 2012, 08:37:48 pm »

I guess that we will just have to see what happens and hope that we are around when the chicks are born and then remove them ASAP.
We built a chick run with a lamp today so that we are prepared to take them away and look after them in a barn or maybe in the "library" as our insurrance broker called it today.