One of these things is not like the other.
I went out to the hen house this morning and of my hens was acting funny..... I thought she might have a chick under her.
Nope. I found this little guy instead. What a surprise!
The odd of him surviving out with the rest of the velociraptors was very low... so I scooped him up and put him with the fresh meats.
Why didn't I put him in a crate with his "momma?" Well... I'm not sure about a chicken raising a duckling... plus little ducks, more so than chicks, tend to be a lot more mobile. This way I can keep an eye on him and also he can hang out with the same-ish aged chicks. They will outpace him soon enough but at least he has a fighting chance.
He was a little confused by everything that happened but I think he's going to be OK.
Happy Thursday everyone! Do you have a surprise duckling?
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4 comments:
How do you suppose that a duck egg got under a chicken? Did she just go sit on some random egg or did a duck lay in the chicken's nest? Could she have ducknapped the little guy? So many unanswered questions.
We need Barnyard CSI for sure! ha! actually i this henny and a little duck hen have been fighting over a nest. i cannot believe he actually hatched. he was the only one. for heavens sakes!
Our ducks and chickens lay together too. Makes for a challenge because the hatching time is a week different!
I had a chicken on eggs a couple of weeks ago, and I noticed my grown turkeys taking an unhealthy interest in her and the nest. At one point I watched them grab her by the neck and fling her off the nest! I segregated her for awhile, but towards the end of the setting period I had left the coop door open too wide and the doggone turkey bullies were at it again. I scolded them and shooed them out, and saw a broken eggshell on the ground with a feather stuck on it. So I started to yell at them again.
Then I saw the lone chick on the ground with his eye seemingly pecked out, bloody. I doctored him and put him in the brooder alone (and really told off the turkeys). A week later I had a batch of guinea keets so I put them in with him. Everyone is doing fine! None of the other eggs hatched out, guess too much stress and assaulting of mama.
The lone chicks always end up being a little....off, don't they?
YES!!! Carol, thanks so much for saying this! I've always noticed it also and I wasn't sure if it was just me. But, yep - they never really mesh with the group.
ps these same pair of hen/duck hens killed an earlier hatchling so i knew he'd never make it. always a terrible find. :-/
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