Mixed Scovy Ducklings - Hatch Grow Journal - Update 2/2011 - Lost One

We set these on 1/30/2010 and thought we had until 3/5 until we needed to keep an eye out for hatching. Well, we got back from Disney On Ice and there were 2 of 5 out of their eggs. I mean, we hadn't even taken them out of the turner yet!!!

Well, we got the brooder ready super fast and moved the new babies into it. We also moved the others off the turner (one is pipping).

So, what the heck happened? Do we need to worry about them hatching so early!?!?

They still look super wet, so we're thinking we must have just barely missed them!





Sad update, 2/26/11: We had an attack: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=5773647#p5773647

Congrats Rob! Very cute ducklings! I had 2 that hatched early as well...now waiting on the others to hatch!

Rob that's 28 days on the nose, but I thought it was 35 for Muscovies. That's what you decided on right? Other ducks are 28 days....

How cute! Ducks and geese don't hatch early. It is not easy to hurry along their development like sometimes can happen with chickens. I asked Dave Holderead about it with some geese. He said when the ducks and geese hatch early and your temps have been in the right range, you are seeing an egg that started developing when it was laid and then continued when it was incubated. He said he has seen it many times.

What breed are these? Most ducks are 28 - 30 days. Muscovies are 35.

Thats very strange for Muscovy eggs. What color were the parents?

I'm pretty sure they are Muscovies and pretty sure they weren't incubated early, but I'll need smithzoo100 (who gave them to me at the Stockton show) to chime in.

I bet they aren't scovies.

Okay, here I am.... LOL!! I had to wait till we got back to the van to get the laptop online since my cell doesn't like websites very much.... Kept getting email notifications, though !! First off, CONGRATS!!!!! They look really good and no worse for wear since they didn't follow the book. Rude grand-babies already misbehaving. All that I can figure out is that these two and your pip may very well be mules from my Ancona?!? I did not think that she was laying yet, but must be wrong since the eggs hatched so early. She is the only non-muscovy we have and we have seen her breed with the Scovy boys, however, her mules last year were very colorful and all painted up. I am very surprised your ducklings are all yellow!! That all said, it is very, very possible (probable) that your two non-pipped eggs will be hatching at the proper time for purebred Scovies so be prepared for those and continue to incubate them like they will be on time for next week. I would be more than happy to swap out Scovy babies for mules if you are disappointed by that. It would only be fair and I do have Choco's clutch and will have more throughout the Spring and Summer. Pick ducklings could be your's, Nifty!!

Okay, all that said, I am a little surprised that they hatched on time for regular ducks and not a little longer which would be more typical for mules. I know that you had gotten at least 1 Cricket egg that I marked since I used the food color to mark the girls vents. That was the only one which showed up with color on it!! The Ancona's never did (she had a blue butt for days!) and I thought that the non-colored eggs were from my black and white pied Scovy girl. Apparently, the food color in the girl's vent works best in birds that aren't in the pond half the day!!

The good thing about this is, they look really great and, after talking to you throughout this process, you should have NO worries about not getting ducklings after all your hard work!! Okay, would have used many, many more smilies, but they are not working for me right now. I can see them, just not able to put them in my text.... CONGRATS AGAIN!!!!!!!!! Sending this so you do not have to wait a minute longer!! ~Lisa

Congrats on those beautiful ducklings!!

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I saw Nifty and ducklings- my very first thought was uh oh, Terrie got to him!

Congratulations on some very cute ducklings Rob, ducks are wonderful!