[louiseb22]

We have a lovely broody columbine called Violet who has hatched and is now raising 3 happy healthy chicks.
we have just got some khaki Campbell ducks who are not yet laying and read that they are not a broody bird so was thinking of letting Violet hatch the ducks eggs next year if she becomes broody again.
our hens are in a separate area to the ducks and the ducks have a lovely house they have never used so if violet gets broody again can i put her in with the ducks to use their house to hatch in?

do adult ducks attack young ducklings like some hens attack chicks?

will the ducks attack the hen?

had hens a while but new to ducks and the books dont have all my answers so gratefull of any tips and advice.

Thanks

[darkbrowneggs]

I have hatched duckling under my Marans many times without problems.  I generally take the hen away when she starts to expect them to perch.

[Aunt Sally]

They get a bit worried too when their "chicks" want to go for a swim 

[Sassy]

I used a spangled hamburg to hatch and raise 4 Khaki Campbells in August. She hatched every egg and was an excellent mother. Even chilled when they started to swim. As they were very quickly much bigger that her it was funny to see her sat in the middle of them with her wings out trying to keep them warm.

It is safest to keep broodies and hatchlings away from the adults until they are old enough to be mixed in with the adults. Drakes especially may attack and kill the young.

Unfortunately we were severely flooded and the hen was drowned. We were able to release the ducklings - they were about 7 weeks old and were still around during the week it took the water to recede. We have not seen them since and assume they followed the water back to the river. As they do not fly like wild ducks I do not know how they will get on avoiding predators. As the water was up to my husbands armpits and he is 6 feet, the ducklings emerged terrified and swam off. There was no hope of catching them. The drake was released and has not been seen since. The best we could give them under the circumstances was a chance! We also lost 5 quail, 2 ducks (mothers of the above) and 3 other hens. It is still very upsetting.

[louiseb22]

 oh how awful for you!!!! that is so sad.
hope you are pulling round after the floods.
i have more drakes than i can keep at the moment as they are this years ducklings if you would like one to help regroup they are welsh harlequins a breed stemmed from the campbells quite rare by all accounts. and lovely colours.

thanks for the advice guys

[Sassy]

oh how awful for you!!!! that is so sad.
hope you are pulling round after the floods.
i have more drakes than i can keep at the moment as they are this years ducklings if you would like one to help regroup they are welsh harlequins a breed stemmed from the campbells quite rare by all accounts. and lovely colours.

thanks for the advice guys

Thank you for the very kind offer. I do not feel I can re-stock unless the Environment Agency repair the flood bank - we are taking stpes to persuade them but are not holding our breath!!. I do not feel it would be fair to any future birds and I don't think I could face it again either.