Author Topic: broody on duck eggs-question? (Read 3926 times)

zeeteecee · « **on:** June 02, 2011, 07:10:26 am »

Yesterday I put some cayuga and aylesbury eggs under a broody maran. She is sitting happily but i have a question about humidity.
duck eggs needs a more humid environment than hens eggs,should i be DOING anything to help with this?

Any other tips to help my broody gal get through & me to have a decent number of ducklings would be welcome as we haven't done this before!

Thankyou.
Zarla

Sylvia · « **Reply #1 on:** June 02, 2011, 07:35:59 am »

I should just leave her to it, I've hatched ducks under broody hens and they have been fine. If you start to interfere you're likely to put her off. One tip, when the ducklings hatch keep them well away from water other than what they need. The poor old hen will be frantic, trying to get them out of even a tiny stream

jaykay · « **Reply #2 on:** June 02, 2011, 07:59:32 am »

Quote

I should just leave her to it, I've hatched ducks under broody hens and they have been fine. If you start to interfere you're likely to put her off. One tip, when the ducklings hatch keep them well away from water other than what they need. The poor old hen will be frantic, trying to get them out of even a tiny stream

Ditto. Also, duckling fluff is only waterproof because the mother duck's feathers transfer oil to it. I don't think hens are oily in the same way. Certainly incubator reared ducklings get water-logged and sink

Nearly learned this the hard way as a small child - Dad apparently caught me, aged about 8, taking the ducklings onto the garden pond for a swim and rescued them

zeeteecee · « **Reply #3 on:** June 02, 2011, 08:08:50 am »

thankyou!
Although we haven't any adult ducks at present, we've kept ducks for many years, but have only ever incubator hatched them! One of my hens went broody so we decided to get some fertiles to try under her-fingers crossed!
She is sitting happily in splendid isolation in my warm shed/workshop with food and water next to her.
I'm just popping my head in once a day to check her food/water but otherwise I'm leaving her to it.

I hope for some lovely cayugas and aylesburys!
Zarla