I've been raising a few call ducks for a couple of years now, but I've recently ran into a sad problem. Last fall I bought the cutest pair of magpie call ducks at a sale. The female is extremely small, much smaller than my other ducks. I couldn't wait for spring, so I put them in a breeding pen with lights in late January. She started right up laying, and I set her eggs every week. All were fertile, but they all seem to die in their shells at about 20 day. I probably set 30 of her eggs, and not one has made it to hatch time. I was wondering if it could be a disease or malnutrition in the pair? Could it be just lighting them and getting them to lay too early?
I read somewhere about the small size being a problem, could this be it? My other ducks are not show quality in any way, I think to big. So when I got her I thought I really found a good one! I also saw a paragraph somewhere on the web about oyster shell being a problem. They really attacked it, so I gave them all they wanted. Is that bad?
Please help! It's the saddest thing to pull out those tiny black and white ducklings and see how perfect they were! I would love to hatch some pieds, but maybe I'll have to stick with greys and snowys!
Any great sites on the web would be appreciated, too!
I read somewhere about the small size being a problem, could this be it? My other ducks are not show quality in any way, I think to big. So when I got her I thought I really found a good one! I also saw a paragraph somewhere on the web about oyster shell being a problem. They really attacked it, so I gave them all they wanted. Is that bad?
Please help! It's the saddest thing to pull out those tiny black and white ducklings and see how perfect they were! I would love to hatch some pieds, but maybe I'll have to stick with greys and snowys!
Any great sites on the web would be appreciated, too!