trying to get broody duck adopt ducklings question

[marinakirsten]

Hi!

First want to start off by saying i did SO MUCH research before deciding to get ducklings for my broody duck, and also have a back up plan in place in case she doesn’t accept them.

this question is for anyone who understands broody duck behavior

This morning, i swapped out the eggs in the nest for cracked open empty eggs and ducklings i ordered from Metzer Farms.

they’ve now been with her for 7 hours, mostly supervised (i’ll leave for 15-20 minutes then just come check up on them)

i’ll tell you the behaviors i’ve witnessed from mama duck and you tell me what you think.

1- she ran straight back to the nest after the egg/duckling swap and was wagging a her tail & quacking. she also immediately started eating the eggshells???
2-i’ve witnessed her trying to gently nibble and tuck them back under her
3-she is protective/bites me if i reach my hand into the nest where her and the babies are
4-babies are following her around like she’s mom

BUT, on the contrary
6-i’ve witnessed her peck at them whenever they get out from behind/under her, or when they are running/being rowdy or away from the nest. I’ve seen real aggression in ducks, this is definitely not that. but i can’t tell if it’s semi-aggressive or just correcting the babies. she pecks and sometimes they get knocked over, they get a tiny bit scared when that happens, but ultimately they end up back under her or around her in the nest. I’ve also seen her peck at them when they are kind of far from the nest but then it makes them scared to get closer and under her so i have to kind of spook them into running under her, and then they settle in and she doesn’t attack when she get back under

am I okay to leave them? I know it’s mostly good signs, and 7 hours together and no injuries or actual attacks, but the times i do watch her peck them it makes me so uneasy.

oh also, this duck has never been a mother! idk if that helps for insight

right now it’s dusk and i assume ducklings are tired and ready to nap so ive just been watching them for 20 minutes. they’re all napping under/around her and she’s adjusting her nest and the straw around them

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

I think things are going well. The ducklings will learn obey her better as they figure out what she wants. Some mamas are just more aggressive with the babies than others.

 

[marinakirsten]

I think things are going well. The ducklings will learn obey her better as they figure out what she wants. Some mamas are just more aggressive with the babies than others.

okay thank goodness. needed more insight, i was worried! thank you!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

How are they this morning? I tired last year to get my Muscovy who was broody to accept ducklings nope she would not.

 

[marinakirsten]

How are they this morning? I tired last year to get my Muscovy who was broody to accept ducklings nope she would not.

they are good! survived the night with no supplemental heat so they definitely were snuggled under mom all night!

she does peck rather hard for my liking, but as the other person who commented stated, i’ve noticed it’s only when she’s unhappy with what the babies are doing to correct them. They are slowly learning what she wants and they are building a dynamic

Otherwise they are great and she definitely recognizes them as her own!! and they recognize her as mom for sure.

things i researched and did before attempting the adoption was:

-swap the eggs for the ducklings when she’s not watching/away from nest
-put empty cracked eggshells in there to prevent from shock from losing all the eggs in nest (i also think this fooled her into thinking the eggs in her nest hatched bc she immediately started eating the eggshells)
-having water and food set up close to nest for the babies to prevent further disruption after the swap
-making sure she’s been sitting on a nest for at least 28 days

the most difficult part was getting the babies to imprint on mom and not be scared of her when she corrected them. i stood guard and supervised and continued to “shoo” the babies back into the corner of the nest box with mom if they got out. eventually they got it. I only did this bc right off the bat i noticed she wasn’t being aggressive/trying to kill them

 

[HollowOfWisps]

What you are seeing is her thinking they are freshly hatched needing to stay under her. A lot of people miss this step and mistake it for aggression. When ducklings first hatch they need to stay under their mother for the first 1-2 days (just like you would keep them in an incubator or under heat) until they dry off, finishing absorbing what’s left of the yolk and are strong enough to learn how to walk without being wobbly. Since the ducklings were already a couple days old when put under her they were strong enough to start the exploration and leaving the nest stage. In her mind though since she saw the eggshells with the babies she thinks they are still newly hatched ducklings needing that 1-2 days of warmth to dry off, protection while they grow their strength and finish living off of what they absorbed from the yolk. That is why she keeps trying to force them back under her. She thinks they are weak fresh hatched ducklings. In the next day or so she should start to allow them to wonder out of the nest without trying to force them back underneath her. She will still keep a close eye over them, but she knows that they are strong enough to move on their own.