Attention Muscovy lovers

[Dianne88]

WOW, I bow down to incubator Queen Dianne88. That is a great hatch and you didn't assist? I'm eat up with envy!! Congratulations!

What I did do is some had a big pip in them but had not broken the membrane so after about 24 hrs I pricked the membrane this morning, wanted to make sure they were getting air. Today after work I helped the last 4 by making the hole a little bit bigger and within 5 min they popped right out. All are healthy! So I'm happy!

 

[charlindabob]

Dianne88, how long before you put the little ones outside, assuming you have them inside now? Mine are number one poop machines and I am cleaning a minimum of three times a day. Cute ducklings, but a pain in the butt to keep clean. What are you using for a substrate? I've been using a couple of old towels and paper towels and it keeps me busy. Maybe I should switch to wood chips? I have a bag of cedar chips and I wonder if they are toxic or should I buy pine chips? I've read of people using horse bedding, but totally unfamiliar with that.

Glad you have 11 young hatchlings!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Dianne88, how long before you put the little ones outside, assuming you have them inside now? Mine are number one poop machines and I am cleaning a minimum of three times a day. Cute ducklings, but a pain in the butt to keep clean. What are you using for a substrate? I've been using a couple of old towels and paper towels and it keeps me busy. Maybe I should switch to wood chips? I have a bag of cedar chips and I wonder if they are toxic or should I buy pine chips? I've read of people using horse bedding, but totally unfamiliar with that.

Glad you have 11 young hatchlings!

I'm not Diane88 but I will say Cedar is a no no the oils. Try the pine shavings the flake not fine. They really work well with moisture. Horse pellets I have not used but they break down into saw dust so I am a little leery with very young ducklings.

 

[Dianne88]

I put Solo outside yesterday in a separate area in the chicken coop for now, going to work out something nice for him until he's big enough to hang out with the 2 9wk olds. Right now the older one sit on one side of the cage and watch Solo as Solo peeps to them. You're right, I started calling Solo "Sh** ty Duck" he pooped soooooo much!! I had to kick him out of the kiddy pool brooder! I had been using old towels and changing the sometimes more than once a day! I used pine chips for my chick but I've read ducklings might eat pine chips. My new ducklings are eating and drinking like pros!! So cute!! I opened my unmatched eggs to see why they died and #18 was positioned correctly but kinda small, must have died a few days ago. The other two were positioned wrong, the first was pointed to to the wrong end and the other one's head was tucked the wrong direction.

 

[charlindabob]

I put Solo outside yesterday in a separate area in the chicken coop for now, going to work out something nice for him until he's big enough to hang out with the 2 9wk olds. Right now the older one sit on one side of the cage and watch Solo as Solo peeps to them. You're right, I started calling Solo "Sh** ty Duck" he pooped soooooo much!! I had to kick him out of the kiddy pool brooder! I had been using old towels and changing the sometimes more than once a day! I used pine chips for my chick but I've read ducklings might eat pine chips. My new ducklings are eating and drinking like pros!! So cute!! I opened my unmatched eggs to see why they died and #18 was positioned correctly but kinda small, must have died a few days ago. The other two were positioned wrong, the first was pointed to to the wrong end and the other one's head was tucked the wrong direction.

Hi, and that's interesting. Wonder why two were positioned wrong? Just nature and the way it is or maybe the humidity too high, but yet the others hatched ok? What you did and how you did it must be pretty good to get 11 out of 14 hatched to healthy little ducklings, but I always wonder about what caused the others to not hatch. Maybe I should concentrate on the correct things done to get a healthy hatch.

Well, my dozen plus two arrived this morning and they are sitting in a carton awaiting placement in the incubator tonight. My rural mailman brought them right to the house for me. Since I moved my incubator inside and not out in the shop, my humidity has lowered 5-10%. I originally wanted two dozen, but I wanted to see what I was getting and if they hatched before spending that much money on hatching eggs, but in hindsight I have no worries with this seller.

 

[Dianne88]

Hi, and that's interesting. Wonder why two were positioned wrong? Just nature and the way it is or maybe the humidity too high, but yet the others hatched ok? What you did and how you did it must be pretty good to get 11 out of 14 hatched to healthy little ducklings, but I always wonder about what caused the others to not hatch. Maybe I should concentrate on the correct things done to get a healthy hatch. Well, my dozen plus two arrived this morning and they are sitting in a carton awaiting placement in the incubator tonight. My rural mailman brought them right to the house for me. Since I moved my incubator inside and not out in the shop, my humidity has lowered 5-10%. I originally wanted two dozen, but I wanted to see what I was getting and if they hatched before spending that much money on hatching eggs, but in hindsight I have no worries with this seller.

Good luck with your new batch of eggs! Keep us updated!

 

[Dianne88]

New babies had to go outside, stinky!!!!!!

 

[Dianne88]

Solo lives in his new pin too!

 

[charlindabob]

Mine are on pine shavings and yes they are beginning to stink. I add a few shavings during the day and change them in the early evening so they have a clean place to sleep. Saturday they go OUTSIDE as I have had about all I can stand. They are on the enclosed back porch and I have a window open and a fan on and heat if warranted, but the wife is a bit,..... er complaining.

Got rid of those two "whatever" ducks today. People drove over an hour one way to come get them! Good riddance. Now to find all the young roosters and start disposing of them. I have ten sex link chickens, about the same amount in Delaware & RIR, but they are straight run as I hatched them and I should be able to tell chicken from rooster now. My sex links are starting to lay and I am getting 6 eggs a day. I'd like to have about 20 hens once all roosters are culled and get a dozen eggs a day or so.

Solo and the 11 look pretty contented although Solo will need a friend. Maybe you can put the two pens close together? I'm interested in seeing what colors they turn out to be.

 

[Dianne88]

Solo has free run of the yard when ever we are outside and he's very brave and tries to stay close to the older 2 Muscovy. The drake is very curious about him and much more tolerant than the female, she's kinda snippy toward him. When the babies are bigger I will try a meet and greet LOL. Take pics when you put your babies outside. Do yours go swimming yet? Mine are always splashing and playing in the water, (a shallow tray).