About a 26 days ago my Khaki Campbell hen went rouge and hatched out in the tall pasture. She returned with three ducklings in tow. On Saturday she left them out in the pasture and headed for the drakes. The ducklings were wandering around, no mama and no protection. With all the predators we have there were sitting ducks. I threw my hat over them and took them indoors. I had built two brooder boxes long ago out of clear storage bins with hen wire screen lids. I picked up one and it shattered in my hand as plastic degrades over time. The other one is compromised and held together with wire and tape. But it will do for now. It is time to build new ones. Finances and time were factors in neglecting this upgrading task. I had sold off my drakes last year to have a smaller feed bill. This year we got new Indian Runner drakes and a Welsh Harlequin. They got the job done and now we have fertile eggs and ducklings on the farm again.
I did not understand why the mama duck abandoned her ducklings.These were small and thin for their age. One died yesterday in the brooder even with food, heat and water. The other two are eating and drinking and doing very well. Last night a foster banty chicken hen hatched from an abandoned duckling clutch a single duckling. My larger breed chicken do not like ducklings in their nest boxes and will kill them as history has shown me. So the hatchling is now also in the brooder box with the two wild ones. It will be interesting to see the how these turn out as adults. There is a demand for duck eggs these days. My husband enjoys the ducks and I like the clean pond and the eggs. Ducks are also hardier to have on the farm than chickens.
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