How to plant a duck on eggs

Bird breeding is a multi-level process that can be built in several ways. The key point of breeding can be called cultivation, where one of the most popular methods is the process of natural hatching with the direct participation of a specially selected brood hen. Despite its popularity, the method involves time-consuming, as well as other difficulties encountered in achieving the goal.In order for the duck to sit to hatch eggs, it is necessary to prepare the nest, select the eggs, and also provide it with proper nutrition. In the article, we’ll deal with the question of how to plant a duck on eggs.

Table of Contents
  1. Difficulty in choosing suitable hens
  2. Preparations for nests
  3. Nest building
  4. Next steps
  5. Egg selection
  6. Principles of control over hens

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How to plant a duck on eggs

According to experts, the most difficult task is to select a brood hen because The success of the hatchery depends on its behavior, therefore, the choice should be taken with all responsibility, and many beginning farmers prefer to resort to the services of experienced specialists who can give practical advice. It is important for the duck to create all conditions for comfortable incubation of the entire masonry, since even a good hen in the absence of such conditions cannot ensure success.

Difficulty in choosing suitable hens

Depending on the breed the purpose of the duck may vary slightly.According to the official classification, two main types are distinguished:

  • meat breeds;
  • meat-egg breeds.

There are three directions of breeding, the first It is aimed at breeding ducks in order to obtain meat, the second – meat and eggs, the third – only eggs. To implement each of the directions, you can use several breeds at once, each of which has a number of advantages and disadvantages. Not every bird can boast of developed instincts for hatching eggs, as well as feeding chicks. Based on this, it is safe to say that the mere fact that the hen has started to rush does not guarantee that she will want to hatch an egg. It is noteworthy that such behavior can be a manifestation not so much of individual qualities as a characteristic feature of the breed. Such changes are actively manifested in artificially bred breeds in which the instinct of hatching and procreation was deliberately suppressed.

In situations where the bird refuses to hatch, one can resort to several options for solving the problem:

  • use an incubator;
  • use another breed of bird to hatch;
  • find a bird from an existing brood that is predisposed to hatch an egg.

Chicken layers are the best option in order to put a duck egg in their nest, which they will successfully lodge and will not even pay attention to the hatching of a drake. Also for these purposes, you can use turkeys, which may well be suitable for the function of “surrogate motherhood”. When choosing such a replacement, one should stop on laying hens that are capable of completely covering the masonry with their body, because otherwise incubation will not have a positive effect. It is they who have developed the instinct to hatch eggs, which greatly simplifies the process, since it is not necessary to do this under such conditions. They are also excellent “educators”, so ducklings of other breeds with such a mother feel very comfortable. The tamed wild duck is great for the natural process of hatching, as its level of maternal instincts is usually at an extremely high level.

When choosing a brood from an existing population, it is necessary first to pay attention to the behavior of the bird. The ideal mother hen should be calm and at the same time not lethargic. Excessive aggressiveness is the factor that indicates the impossibility of using poultry as a hen for hatching other people’s eggs.It should be noted that even in a situation where the search for a suitable candidate was successful, conducting special “testing” is mandatory. The test consists in using test eggs of up to 5 in number to test the reaction.

If the bird leaves the nest in the process of hatching only to eat or drink for several days, we can talk about the success of the experiment. In the future, the test egg should be replaced with a fertilized one, which is placed directly in the nests. If, after such a change, the duck sits on its eggs, then you can be almost sure of the success of the operation. hatching of chicks, but by no means the only one, because a lot depends on how correctly equipped the place to hatch eggs. The nest into which the clutch occurs should be convenient, since otherwise the duck may completely refuse to hatch these eggs and subsequently make her return to the already abandoned occupation will be extremely difficult.

This behavior is possible only under the condition that we are talking about breeds with a pronounced instinct of the mother, since the loss of interest on the part of individuals who are not the best “parents” can lead to the fact that the eggs will not be hatched at all.It is very important to monitor the behavior of the bird under which the laying was made throughout the entire period of hatching, because if you lose sight of the moment when the bird lost interest and no longer wants to hatch eggs, you can simply not have time to find an adequate replacement.

The process of preparing a nest to plant a brood hen is quite simple, and even inexperienced poultry breeders can afford it. The main condition for this is to strictly follow the recommendations that experts provide. At home, as, in fact, in the wild, the duck’s nest should be located so that it is darkened and also hidden from prying eyes. When arranging the place where the masonry will hatch, you should also make sure that it is not accessible to other animals, as well as provide protection from drafts that can adversely affect the health of birds. It is also recommended to equip duck nests so that they are out of direct sunlight.

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In addition to the immediate refusal to hatch the egg due to the lack of an appropriate instinct, the laying can be affected by the laying being in a draft or chosen by parasites or predators. It is noteworthy that such behavior can be shown not only by duck hens, but also other representatives of the feathered world.Rats or ferrets may well steal not only eggs, as ducklings often suffer from them, which negatively affects the emotional state of the laying hen.

Fighting the penetration of such intruders is a rather difficult event, which often requires patience and strength. It is almost impossible to establish the timing of the appearance of predators in the barn, but they are activated mainly in the winter, when access to other food is significantly limited.

Nest building

In natural conditions, the duck sits in a nest that is prepared independently, and most importantly, in advance. At home, birds are not able to independently equip the nest, so the duck breeder should be concerned about this task. The basis for constructing a man-made nest can be boxes, which at the same time is quite strong and at the same time not dangerous for birds to get injured.

It is important to make sure that the boxes do not have any harsh odors that will certainly scare the bird away. Laying and hatching should be carried out on soft and warm surfaces, so for this purpose the nest should be covered with dry grass, in which there are no thorns and other sharp formations that can cause injury. It is important that the masonry is equipped so that the eggs do not roll along the edges, but concentrate in the center and the place is convenient.Duck eggs are quite large, and taking into account the fact that a bird can hatch about 20 eggs at a time, care must be taken to distribute them evenly. wildlife will also optimize the whole process. On ducks there is a large amount of fluff, which can be collected and used to equip the nest. At the same time, the use of mineral and ordinary watts should be abandoned, as they can cause restless behavior, as well as scabies in birds. In order to plant a duck to plant eggs in the cold season, you need to take care of additional warming of the nest, since otherwise the laying will hardly cause ducklings to emerge from the eggs. It is also important to ensure complete rest when the duck lays on its eggs, therefore they should not have access to this place or claw.

Further actions

After the arrangement process hatching places, as well as direct preparation of the nest has been completed, you can lay eggs. To lay eggs in such a way as to obtain the desired effect, you can use an exceptionally good bird, which is suitable for this.Lying other people’s eggs to birds that do not show a desire to hatch even their own is simply a futile task, whereas if you find a bird with developed instincts in ducks, you can get the desired result, even when it comes to eggs of other bird species. In addition to the instinct, one should pay attention to the dimensions of the brood hen, since to plant a large individual on fragile eggs is equivalent to throwing them away.

The optimal amount at which the duck sits and plants eggs on its own is 5, then how the maximum level should be determined by the dimensions, as well as the breed of the hen. For people who do not understand ducks, the best option may be to consult with a specialist on this issue. There is one thing, however: in order for the consultation to be effective, the specialist must see the hen.

New eggs should be laid gradually, and in such a way that they do not cause discomfort to the hen. This is best done when the bird is temporarily away to drink or eat. Under a sedentary bird, you should not lay more than one egg at a time, while during its absence it is possible to significantly supplement the clutch. If everything was done correctly, ducklings from all eggs appear almost simultaneously. Determining the exact timing of the appearance of the chick, especially at home, is quite difficult. At the same time, a month period with some correction for rock features is an optimal indicator.

Among the probable problems that arise when laying eggs under a duck, there is a certain difference between the hatching time of ducklings. In some cases, this does not lead to a change in the ratio of the hen to the eggs, while it also happens that the duck loses interest in them, and it is extremely rare to plant it back. In such cases, you can do everything in order for the eggs to sit on other hens, but this is fraught with some difficulties and does not always work. That is why laying is recommended before the hen is first planted in the nest.

Egg Selection

Before placing the duck on the eggs, you need to select them correctly. For this purpose, experienced duck breeders recommend collecting eggs until the full laying is collected. Eggs should be stored in a special way, placing them in a place dry and protected from direct sunlight, where they can be aged freely. It is important that the duck lays on eggs whose age does not exceed five days, because otherwise they will not be able to give offspring, because they are most likely already spoiled.

Some breeders recommend washing their eggs during preparation for laying, however there are and those who argue that in the case of the natural way of breeding chicks, there is no need for such manipulations. The same can be said about the eggs of other birds, since the claw can hatch without additional processing of the egg.

Principles of control over hens

In order for a claw, spleen or female to hatch from an egg, it is important to control the hen in the first stages.

  • It is necessary to trace where and how she sat down, whether she covers the entire masonry with her body, or one egg (or maybe several) is left aside. The lack of maternal instincts of the proper level is not the only problem, because their excessive level can be no less dangerous.
  • A claw or other chick will not be able to hatch from an egg if a bird, guided by instincts of protection, refuses to get up from them, in order to to eat. In addition to depletion, such actions have a negative effect on the eggs, which should not overheat, and should also receive oxygen, which is properly supplied only when the hen rises from them.
  • When it comes to ducks that hatch eggs and don’t get up, the only solution here is to force them to rise, because it is vital for the chicks to be hatched.

Speaking of domestic ducks and the process of their breeding, it is safe to say that natural instincts in this business are on the first m ste. If any breed is capable of trotting, regardless of individuality, not every bird is suitable for hatching. A chick brood from laid eggs can be obtained only by observing a number of rules and recommendations.You can get such recommendations from specialized literature, as well as on the Internet, where more than one video is presented that reveals in detail all the secrets of duckling breeding. Thanks to them, every time a duck sits on its eggs, you will have ducklings in time.

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Anna Evans

Author ✓ Farmer

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