Author Topic: ducklings with a hen (Read 3269 times)

mentalmilly · « **on:** May 27, 2013, 12:00:51 pm »

My broody has hatched 4 ducklings today ( hooray) Has anyone had any experience with hens bringing up ducklings? Not done this before so may need info on what to do please. Giving them unmedicated chick food and water so far.

little blue · « **Reply #1 on:** May 27, 2013, 02:11:56 pm »

congratulations!
we have a little banty hen with two ducklings - they are out in an ark so they can have a decorating tray with water, so "mum" doesn't panic about it! they are starting to paddle quit happily, just remember they don't have oil in the feathers and a hen can't provide it like a duck can, so mind they can't get too wet and chilled while they're still "yella"

HesterF · « **Reply #2 on:** May 27, 2013, 10:46:05 pm »

I've got a six week old duckling that was hatched by one of my broodies (was supposed to be four, rest dead in shell). The broody has done a great job. We also had a paint roller tray in the run for water from when he was a few days old but he had no interest in swimming although he was quite happy to paddle through it. They're now back with the flock (I needed the run back for another broody and he's enormous now!). The only problem at this stage is that the duckling thinks he's a hen so he goes into the henhouse at night (sitting underneath is 'mum' when she perches) but the broody has moved on. He struggles to keep up with the chickens, particularly when they free range but he won't go with the ducks so quite a lot of the time he sits in the run by himself. I've tried moving him to the duck house at night so he can bond with the ducks but he misses his mum - just dashes out in the morning to find her. You should avoid this because you have several so they'll bond with each other and won't miss the broody so much when she leaves them.

H

goosepimple · « **Reply #3 on:** May 28, 2013, 12:32:10 pm »

and I've got 4 gosling eggs sitting under a hen just now due in abouit 2 weeks. Hmmm, sounds like there will be a story here in time

mentalmilly · « **Reply #4 on:** May 28, 2013, 05:15:27 pm »

My hen is adjusting to the funny looking "chicks" but does not understand why they like water. They also ignore her some of the time when she calls them over for a tasty morsel she has dug up. This is confusing the hell out of the poor thing, they dont seem as needy as your regular chicks. She is looking after them well though.

sokel · « **Reply #5 on:** May 31, 2013, 08:48:24 pm »

I had a chicken hatch duck eggs and she used to go into a mega panic mode every time the ducklings jumped into the fish pond

It was funny to watch but probably very stressful for the mum

mentalmilly · « **Reply #6 on:** June 01, 2013, 04:46:55 pm »

The ducklings are starting to come to the hen when she calls now, pehaps they dont speak chicken and have just picked it up. Bilingual ducks.

little blue · « **Reply #7 on:** June 01, 2013, 09:19:57 pm »

hope so!

we have a turkey who thinks she's a chicken,,,,

mentalmilly · « **Reply #8 on:** June 01, 2013, 09:40:07 pm »

Oh dear we have a chuck sitting on some turkey eggs. Will they think they are chickens? Identity crisis on the way.

little blue · « **Reply #9 on:** June 02, 2013, 10:14:50 am »

no, ours is just abit odd!!
we had just three hatch, by a bantam light sussex. When we separated them from her, they "cried" all the time, so we moved them where they could see her, which calmed them down straight away.

over time, the two black ones died, leaving "mrs turkey" alone - in a pen at the end of a row of chickens. She continually broke the fence between them to get in with them, until I gave up trying to move her and left her with her friends!
She talks like a turkey, acts like a turkey, but gets lonely!

hopefully milly, yours will have enough turkey company and they'll be fine!