Broody mallard hen

[indianaducks]

This one is so stinking cute. Both are doing well this morning. The third egg had an external pip last night and is slowly making progress. I’m hopeful it will hatch on its own today without assistance, but will keep an eye on it. Can’t wait to get these guys out of the incubator!

 

[AmeraucanaHank]

This one is so stinking cute. Both are doing well this morning. The third egg had an external pip last night and is slowly making progress. I’m hopeful it will hatch on its own today without assistance, but will keep an eye on it. Can’t wait to get these guys out of the incubator!

 

[Miss Lydia]

They are adorable

 

[indianaducks]

Their coloring is very interesting. I have not hatched any these colors before. I’m very curious what they will look like in a few weeks. They are so so so precious. I’m smitten.

 

[Miss Lydia]

They are beautiful did the last one hatch?

 

[indianaducks]

They are beautiful did the last one hatch?

Yes! It hatched sometime early this morning before I got up. So I have 3!
Technically there is another egg in the incubator but its still got probably another week or so, was another leftover egg, I have no idea if it will do okay but its in there for now.

 

[indianaducks]

Any thoughts as to what colors these might wind up being? They are mixed breed it seems lol. I haven’t had any hatch before that look like these.
(The regular brooder is much bigger, they are just sitting at my desk with me for a few minutes)

Edit:
They are hatched eggs from my own flock. Possible parents are as follows:
Males -
Black magpie drake
Fawn/White runner drake
Mallard
There's a slight chance one of my younger drakes (a blue swedish looking mix) could have been responsible as well but unlikely as he would have been about 4 months old at the time.

Females-
Fawn/white runner
Pekin
White layer
Crested white layer
Blue runner (possibly a blue runner mix)
Silver/white runner (possibly a mix)
Blue swedish
Mallard

 

[indianaducks]

This has been quite the long and involved process, thanks to broody mallards stealing eggs to add to their nest weeks ago. But the final egg in the incubator (originally from their nest) hatched yesterday! The ducklings that are outside with the mallards are 2 weeks old, then there's 3 ducklings inside that are 1 week old, and then yesterday's surprise addition that's 1 day old. I have a few other hens trying to hatch fake eggs, but we're taking a short break from hatching more ducklings LOL

 

[indianaducks]

So we've had a fox or a fox family around recently and unfortunately got two of my chickens recently. Normally my ducks are fine because they stay out of the woodline, but then my two mallard hens disappeared Tuesday and I couldn't find them ANYWHERE. I was heartbroken and assumed the worst. So the rest of the flock was told "no more free ranging" and you'll have to stay locked up in your pen for a bit. No sign of the mallard hens Tuesday night when I locked everyone up, no sign Wednesday morning when I went to feed them. Then Wednesday afternoon I swore I saw one of them in the pen but when I went back out last night to put them to bed, neither mallard hen were there. No sign of them this morning either. All of a sudden I look out the window this afternoon and see one, I grab my phone and sneak outside to verify I haven't lost my mind from the brutal heat wave, and that it is indeed one of my mallard hens alive and well. Then I watched to see where she went in the pen. I guess she dug herself an underground bomb shelter under my pallet coop. I assume she went broody again and that's why I haven't seen her much. I also assume her sister is there, but I have only seen one at any time so who knows. Maybe this is episode 2 of the broody mallards? They are stressing me out! But so relieved at least one is alive.