Baby Aussies hatching today?!?!?!

[chickenlisa]

My 2 Aussie girls have been way broody for over 6 weeks, and sitting on eggs for at least 5 weeks. My Mandarin babies were hatched 6 weeks ago today and we were trying to grab them all when those Aussies were already sitting. Sooooo, 28 days have turned into about 42 at least and today 4 ducklings have hatched so far. 2 have wry neck and I've given Poly Vi Sol to them and put some of it into their water too. I go out of town on Saturday morning early, so will miss out on seeing them group up now. My adult sons will be here to do animal care, so I'll have them take photos and send to me, but why'd they have to wait until today??? My best guess is nest dumping- I've got 5 females in there and I was gathering eggs from a different place in the pen until a few weeks ago. Those eggs were laid by the other females, but they've stopped laying in those other places, so I"m guessing they laid in the nests that were being sat on. There are other eggs out there not hatched yet, and that had ducklings in them. Alive or dead, I don't know that.

What else can be done for the 2 little wry-necked babies in the next day to help them?
Lisa

 

[Alicia G]

Sounds like the hens scrapped there nests and made new ones.

 

[chickenlisa]

But they didn't- I watched everyday. There were some bad eggs tossed out- rotten or clear one. I know because i'd find them out of them nest, then I candled to see, and tossed them when I knew they were bad or clear.

 

[froggie71]

you can give them brewers yeast as well as the poly vi- sol. that is what we did and it worked well. They are so cute. Congrats!

 

[FeatheredObsessions]

Very cute pictures!

 

[StevenW.]

Oh my gosh are they adorable!

I still wish the PO didn't screw up those eggs you sent me earlier this year!

 

[chickenlisa]

thanks... and ducklover1- me too!

 

[StevenW.]

Quote:
Maybe next year!

 

[chickenlisa]

Yes!
Agh I just posted a big update and it got lost! Either my internet is having problems or BYC is...Uploading the pics had problems too.
Here are a few more baby pics while I'm still home to take and post pics...if they could just stay little longer!

There are at least 2 others in the nestbox still- 1 of the little wry necked ones and a newly hatched one this am. I can't find the otehr wry necked baby- so its either hiding very well or it died and Mama did something with it. (??) I did give more Poly Vi Sol to the one and it seems a bit more coordinated today, able to walk around better but still twisting its head around quite a bit. I have to still get Brewer's yeast.

 

[chickenlisa]

now there are 5! and 1 still pipping and zipping...1 of them is the star gazing little one. But they are so cute and fluffy! I hate to leave them but vacation does call. I'll try to post if I can while I'm away.....These babies will all be so big when I get back!