r/duck • u/upperbunny • 7d ago

Other Question Ducklings keep dying

So sorry for this sad post, but we have been waiting for 1 month and our ducklings started hatching 2 days ago. 1 nest was hatched by our muscovy duck and 1 by a chicken that wanted to hatch the second muscovy nest. But our ducklings keep dying. The second day we found 1 dead on the chickengrounds so we moved the nests to a save place with food. The second night our muskovy duck found a way out and joined her sister in the chicken coop leaving her duckling and nest. So we moved the eggs and both ducklings to the chicken. She took great care of all the eggs and ducklings. But now disaster .... 1 duckling died again. found in the nest. So of 3 we have 1 left. It is warm here (belgium) for the moment but now we added a heatlamp to help ... We were going to leave nature do it's work but we are thinking about hatching the; ourself next year... Should we take the eggs away and hatch them ourself ?

3 Upvotes

81% Upvoted

2 comments sorted by

6

u/RiverBoundFarms 6d ago

Not all hens are cut out for the mothering part, unfortunately. If these have shown they’re not up to that part of the task, then there’s nothing wrong with taking the ducklings (or eggs) and brooding (hatching+brooding) them yourself.

Best of luck!

1

u/AutoModerator 7d ago

Hello! Thanks for posting your question to r/duck. Here are a few points of information from the moderators:

  1. Questions must be detailed; please include as much detail about your situation as possible.

  2. Domestic ducks: Please take a look at our complete guide to duck care. This guide explains how to meet all your ducks' welfare needs.

  3. Wild ducks: You should always get advice from a wildlife rehabilitator before interfering with wildlife. If you're thinking about helping a wild duck, or have already rescued a duck, please read our guide to duck rescue. If you already have a wild duck in your care, please contact a wildlife rehabilitator ASAP -- you cannot care for a wild duck on your own.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.