Babies due Saturday! :D - Page 12

Thanks guys. :) I've really enjoyed my ducks. These ducklings are so cute! We are up to 7 with an 8th that I don't think will make it. I candled the eggs that hadn't pipped and they were dead, except for one bantam egg and one duck egg. The bantam egg looks not quite developed, which is weird seeing as it's on day 24. 0.o I didn't even know that was possible. I guess it makes sense now that I think about it because that egg was always falling out of her nest. I'm surprised it's still alive. The duck egg that was still alive, was only barely breathing and had barely pipped the air cell. I decided I'd give him a chance and pipped for him. He would have died in his shell otherwise. It was very obvious that he was fading. I don't think he'll have the strength to make it the rest of the way out, though I removed a lot of his shell for him. A lot of the ducklings hadn't absorbed all of their yolks, and this guy is no different. I can see through the membrane that he still has a good bit of yolk to absorb. We'll see what happens. The other ducklings didn't seem to mind that they hadn't absorbed theirs. It just fell off. 

I've put one duckling in with Mama and she accepted it with no argument. I'm hesitant to put the rest under her right now though. I'm not sure why. I don't have a good excuse for it, but I just don't feel right about it. I think I'm going to wait until this evening to give them to her. 

I'll post a pics (some pics, knowing me...) in a bit. We have one little duckling that looks like he's going to be mostly if not all white. He's so albino looking compared to his siblings! XD 

Mama doesn't want us near her babies, which I like. Hopefully she'll be very protective over them. We don't have any predator problems where we live, (so far) but still, I like a good protective mama. 

Now, I have to go attend to the babies and move the tractor Mama, Thor and Little Ducky are in, because I've noticed ants in there. They haven't bothered the babies so far, only stealing food and water, but I don't want them to get any ideas.

So I have some bad news, and then some cute pictures. The 8th duckling is definitely not going to live. His uneven air cell caused him to form lopsidedly. He's just... weird. I don't know how to describe it. I'm going to have me dad take care of him when he gets home, if he lives that long. He's starting to fade already.

Now to cheer you up, pictures!

Gosh, they're cute! I'm almost going to be sad to give them away to Mama, but then I think of cleaning duck poop out of a brooder and it cheers me up a little. =P

Quote:

Originally Posted by WRVgirl 

AWWWWWWWWWwwwwwwwww!

 

So stinking cute!

 

Sorry about the 8th baby though :/

I'm not too devastated. I didn't allow myself to get attached to it because I knew it didn't have much of a chance. Of course it's disappointing, but it was also expected. Well, the not making it part, not the horribly deformed part.

Also, thank you. :) They are pretty adorable if I may say so myself. =P

Quote:

Originally Posted by madi99 

they're absolutely precious :) omg it makes me want to get duck eggs and hatch them in my incubator!! Sorry about the 8th duck though :( How's Thor doing?

They are sweet! I'm very happy to have ducks. This has been an awesome experience. (mostly, of course.)

Thor's doing great! :) He's seems to want to claim Mama as his. When I put the duckling in he ran over to her, peeping like "Mom, Mom! There's this thing!" It was funny. I think he's forgotten he used to not be with her. He sure doesn't want anything to do with me anymore. Which I don't mind. I'm glad to see him happy. :) He doesn't peep near so much anymore and when he does, it sounds happy, not lonely.