hens hatching ducklings??

  • 5 Replies
  • 1948 Views
*

louiseb22

  • Full Member
  • **
  • Location: County Durham, hartlepool
  • 58
hens hatching ducklings??
« on: November 01, 2012, 19:42 »
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
1 Coral Nick, 1 Rhode Rock, 1 Light Sussex,  2 Speckledy, 1 Columbian blactail, 2 welsummer, 1 Columbine
and 18 ducks/drakes/ducklings mix xxx

*

darkbrowneggs

  • Experienced Member
  • ***
  • Location: Worcestershire
  • 244
    • Dark Brown Eggs
Re: hens hatching ducklings??
« Reply #1 on: November 03, 2012, 13:45 »
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.



I love my traditional clean legged English Cuckoo Marans

*

Aunt Sally

  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: Sunny Kent
  • 30512
  • Everyone's Aunty
Re: hens hatching ducklings??
« Reply #2 on: November 03, 2012, 14:07 »
They get a bit worried too when their "chicks" want to go for a swim  :lol:

*

Sassy

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: North Yorkshire
  • 2553
Re: hens hatching ducklings??
« Reply #3 on: November 06, 2012, 10:29 »
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. :( :( :(
« Last Edit: November 06, 2012, 10:30 by Sassy »
Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted!!

*

louiseb22

  • Full Member
  • **
  • Location: County Durham, hartlepool
  • 58
Re: hens hatching ducklings??
« Reply #4 on: November 09, 2012, 14:48 »
 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

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Location: North Yorkshire
  • 2553
Re: hens hatching ducklings??
« Reply #5 on: November 12, 2012, 09:24 »
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. :(


xx
Newcomer to hens and ducklings

Started by Jonsue on The Hen House

6 Replies
3008 Views
Last post May 16, 2008, 14:34
by GrannieAnnie
xx
broody hens/hatching chicks off

Started by kizza on The Hen House

6 Replies
3026 Views
Last post November 29, 2006, 21:58
by muntjac
xx
Are broody hens generally a bit late with hatching?

Started by bedifferent on The Hen House

6 Replies
2177 Views
Last post May 22, 2008, 19:36
by milly8
xx
New Ducklings

Started by Tensing on The Hen House

7 Replies
2567 Views
Last post September 10, 2007, 15:39
by agapanthus
 

Page created in 0.285 seconds with 36 queries.

Powered by SMFPacks Social Login Mod
Powered by SMFPacks SEO Pro Mod |