[Prod]

My call duck, Bunty, made a nest & started laying eggs but a couple of my Buff Orpingtons also got in the duck house and laid some. I didn't want to disturb her as she gets quite stressed (it's her first hatch) so I left her to it and put the 2 BO's elsewhere.  A friend gave me a young hen, she is trying to cross 2 breeds but didn't want this one, and she is yet to lay. This morning there was an almighty squabble and Bunty was out of the house extremely distressed and quacking loudly. When I approached the house the hybrid came out with a new born duckling in her beak & shaking it but when she saw me she dropped it. I could tell it was newly hatched as it was still wet and I could see 2 others inside so I have made a mesh run so the chickens can't get in.  Has anyone else ever seen this happen??

[Helenaj]

I've seen chickens take newly hatched goslings, so I would have thought a new born duckling is no problem. chickens are capable of taking small rats, mice, birds and anything else they consider edible, so unfortunately a small duckling would be easy pickings.

Did the duckling survive?

[Prod]

I've seen chickens take newly hatched goslings, so I would have thought a new born duckling is no problem. chickens are capable of taking small rats, mice, birds and anything else they consider edible, so unfortunately a small duckling would be easy pickings.

Did the duckling survive? 

No unfortunately not it had clearly had it's neck snapped. I had two pairs of ducks last year that had 11 ducklings between them and they mixed with the chickens   but nothing like this has happened before.

Edited to clarify quote

[Helenaj]

I'm so sorry , it must have been horrible to see. It could have been the fact that it was newly hatched that set them off.

[Prod]

Yes it isn't nice seeing an animal die fro no reason, I can't believe the hybrid was actually going to eat it but you never know. My friend is breeding Buff Sussexs with Green Legged Partridge Fowl (GLPF) but some of them have crests,   like Cream Legbars, but she doesn't want that so hence she gave me this one. I have few enough chickens to still give them names but I haven't named this one. I know it sounds daft but she has 'evil eye', her eyes are close together and she looks fierce  but her colouring  is lovely and when she lays the eggs should have green tinge from the GLPF.

[Sassy]

Unfortunately there is every possibility she would have eaten it. It is always advisable to have separate housing for broodies and young birds. I'm sorry not nice! 

[grinling]

I found that when Poppy was on fertilized eggs in the nest box the larger hens would come in and lay and then break a fertilized one. Soon moved her.

[Prod]

I found that when Poppy was on fertilized eggs in the nest box the larger hens would come in and lay and then break a fertilized one. Soon moved her.

Is it true then that hens & perhaps ducks can tell if an egg is fertilized, it's just I have seen them roll eggs away from the nest but I thought it may have been there were too many

[joyfull]

they can feel movements from inside the eggs and any that they feel are dud will get rolled away to prevent any gasses that may be produced from affecting the more promising eggs.