Appleyard Duck Eggs in the Bator - 1 is out!

[MissPrissy]

I sleep between 10 (or 11) to 4 or 5 am.

 

[DuckLady]

I have a Silver Appleyard.

Her name is Smudge. She will almost eat Cheerios out of my hand. She has only been here 6 months so she is still suspicious of me.

I had thought she was a welsh harlequin, but looking at the feathersite pics, I see I was misinformed.

Good luck with your hatch. Pics are required.

 

[Chamelle]

Miss Prissy,

I'm so glad you're hatching appleyards! I have 18 coming on Friday or Sat (from two different people) I have learned so much from your posts.

Dh and I just finished building our first incubator. I blame YOU. I joined this forum to learn about chickens, and then decided I must have ducks too, then I came across your thread where you showed how to make the cooler incubator and I was GONE. We built ours from 3/4inch pine, and I did all the wiring.

(ahem, and the bossing)

When I decided to have ducks, I started researching all the different breeds, and of course ducks in general, knowing almost nothing at all about them. I bought a couple of books by Holderread and have scoured the internet for information. The silver Appleyards were exactly the right duck for me to raise. Good foragers, great layers and BEE-YOO-TI- FULL.

Also, the ALBC (American Livestock Breeds Concervacy for those who, like me, didn't know) has them listed on their Conservation Priority List as 'critical'.

Can't wait for updates from your hatch, and I REALLY can't wait for my eggs to get here.

Cham

 

[MissPrissy]

I promise lots of photos but we all have to wait until Monday to check the fertility and if they are a positive then we have a very long 28 days ahead of us from now!

Chemelle, so very glad I could be of an enabling influence

 

[greyfields]

I found the breed on the ALBC as well after having seen them in England. HOWEVER, there is a caveat. They were only imported into the US in like 1984 or 1994. Therefore, they are on the list due to their 'newness'. I had the ALBC list printed on my pen last year at the fair and the judge gave me a big long laugh becuase I was ignorant. "Of course they're rare, they're just started importing them novice!?!" he scolded me.

 

[cockadoodlemom]

Hoping you have a great hatch with these duck eggs! I am so tempted to try to hatch some geese and ducks cause you just keep encouraging and twisting my arm

Can't wait to see all the great pictures you will take

 

[MissPrissy]

Choose one at a time and don't do them together! Geese eggs will drive you to the brink of insanity with the spritzing and cooling and the turning. When you hatch them yourself you understand exactly why they sell a goose for so much more than the chickens!

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Quote:
We do seem to have some great enablers here!

 

[MissPrissy]

I did a quick candling of the eggs tonight. 3 of the eggs show veining in an area about the size of a nickle. Let's hope more start to vein out by day 10.

 

[Chamelle]

yay! Crossing fingers for the other 5.

I got all mine set on Saturday morning, can't wait to be able to candle. Both sellers threw in extras, so I have 21 eggs.