Incubator and chicken question

old · May 7, 2013

Ok so I have some 42 eggs in the incubator and some in Theory should start hatching Thursday. So I also have a hen that has been sitting on a few duck eggs that I know are not going to hatch. I am thinking about taking say 7 or so of the eggs I have in the incubator and setting them under her so she will finish hatching them and also be there mother hen. O know last year she hatched some out and took good care of them. So will doing this work or not??
Thanks

longear · May 7, 2013

(reply to post at 18:54:57 05/07/13)

yes it will work provided the ones in the incubator were going to hatch in the first place.

tomturkey · May 7, 2013

I think that hen knows the difference between ducks and chickens. I think she'll know you pulled the old switcheroo--lol gobble

youngwolf · May 7, 2013

yes then hen will notice but the motherly instinct will overtake

old · May 7, 2013

That is why I said in theory. I learned decades ago you can not count your chicken before they hatch. Thursday will make the 21st day they have been in the incubator so I know if they are going to hatch they should in the next few days

longear · May 7, 2013

(reply to post at 19:22:04 05/07/13)

when the eggs start peeping switch them.

glennster · May 7, 2013

as long as the hen is seting, it will work fine. dad used to swap pheasant eggs under the hens and they hatched em fine.

Wheat Farmer · May 7, 2013

Years ago my Dad had a hen Chicken hatch out some duck eggs. Hen went nuts when the baby duck went into the pond.

Mike Kork · May 7, 2013

Hatch the eggs in the incubator, when the hatch is done stick the chicks under the hen, she will take to them like if there were hers. Be careful when you do this, hen might think you are kidnaping her chicks and go Rambo on you.
Don't ask how I know this cause I still have bad memories.

GVSII · May 8, 2013

(quoted from post at 11:03:09 05/07/13) I think that hen knows the difference between ducks and chickens. I think she'll know you pulled the old switcheroo--lol gobble

Over the years hens have hatched many
,many ducklings. They know the difference but take good care of the ducks anyway.What is funny is when the hen follows the ducklings into the water.We always put a small amount of water on the duck eggs each day. The duck gets the eggs wet every day after she takes a swim/bath.

Incubator and chicken question

old

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old

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