Duck Brooding

[pinkfox]

so after having a 2nd hard time with hatching a batfch of duck eggs and doing a lot of reading and finding out ducks can be incredibly hard to incubate lots of air but also need high humidity)
im wondering if theres a "broody duck" breed I could get a couple females of to help with hatching.

thinking possibly Muscovy?!

I get enough request for ducklings that low hatch rates realy do eat in to the farm funds.
im getting great fertility but im loosing the ducklings in the last few days of incubation and humidity is the only thing I can think of.

 

[Britesea]

Muscovy is supposed to be a good breed for that; or if you have a broody chicken you can slip the eggs under her I've heard

 

[BarredBuff]

Muscovies! That is all they want to do! I have broke my girl up three or four times this year. They like mass amounts of eggs too.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I like to use broody hens. I have done something mean in the past. I have removed the eggs for lockdown and given her a fresh batch of duck eggs or chicken eggs to finish off and hatch out the first batch of eggs in the incubator. Somehow I had bad luck with a momma hen raising water fowl. Seemed that the adult birds didn't accept the union. They'd attack the babies....chickens as well as ducks. Can kinda understand the chickens but the ducks???

 

[~gd]

I like to use broody hens. I have done something mean in the past. I have removed the eggs for lockdown and given her a fresh batch of duck eggs or chicken eggs to finish off and hatch out the first batch of eggs in the incubator. Somehow I had bad luck with a momma hen raising water fowl. Seemed that the adult birds didn't accept the union. They'd attack the babies....chickens as well as ducks. Can kinda understand the chickens but the ducks???

Muscovy are the duck for hatching eggs IN WARM WEATHER they don't go broody in cord weather. I suspect it is a throw back to the fact that they were non migrating Central American tree ducks [all the other domestic ducks were bred from the Mallard a migrating puddle duck]
Pinkfox you get requests for ducklings Why do they want them? The adult muscovy is not a pretty duck. But they are quiet they hiss not quack. They produce large-jumbo white eggs. As meat birds the drakes are aroung 15 pounds. females about 7 but they are not fast growers The meat is different from other ducks less fat and less likely to have muddy or fishy taste.
The mothers can be very protective and they have sharp claws {I recomment heavy long gloves to handle them] I remember one game cock who pecked a chick in front of Mama she beat that poor bird so bad that the owner put him down. If you haven't guissed I love Muscovy ducks.~gd

 

[pinkfox]

my ducks are runners, lots of interest in them as ducks for egg production.
but they've had the mothering instincts bred right out of them.
im hoping to ad some khaki campbels next year too (I don't each chicken eggs anymore unless I have to lol)

looks like I might have to get myself a scovy hen or 2 to act as brooders then

 

[Britesea]

I have read conflicting comments about Khaki Campbells for hatching and rearing young. I have some, and I'm hoping I'll get at least one mother type out of it.

 

[Britesea]

Well, I've been waiting to see and so far not one of my 3 KC's wants to be a mother. I tried incubating some eggs and, like others, everything went great until the last few days. I'm getting some Silver Appleyards next month (I hope- was supposed to get them this month but apparently the hatch was short) and they are supposed to be pretty good at hatching and rearing ducklings. Pretty ducks, too.