Call Duck Eggs: Artifical Versus Natural Incubation

[miniwhipkey]

My white call duck is molting right now.

Duckluck, I have stoped showing horse and now I am getting into call ducks. You are right, My husband is alot happier with the ducks. I have 2 horse, but we just use them for trail rides now. I got one call duck from my mother about 3 months ago. Now I have 15 eggs on the way. I am so excited.

I want to thank everyone for all of the information. I have learned so much from you and will continue to learn I am sure.

 

[duckluck]

Mrs. Turbo :

my mom has a quaker parrot....he is very loud and lives in the living room.
Haha on the parrot being louder....that is crazy. You should teach him to whisper. Come to our house in the winter time when all 150 ducks are in the barn. I couldn't even think when I was in the barn.

I know what you mean...when the ducks hear my voice by the barn, they all start quacking! I can just imagine what it must have sounded like at the National in Iowa last year! I hope to find out first hand this year!

 

[duckluck]

Quote:
Yep, there's a lot to know about these guys!

I am downsizing and trying to get myself down to just one horse...it's too bad, because I have some real "black type" bloodlines here, these mares are royally bred, but with the market in the toilet on horses I just can't see breeding more foals if I can't get what they are worth. My breed has faced extinction twice in the last 500 years and so I don't know what this latest economy will do for it. Terrible.

The great thing about Call ducks, and about ducks in general, is that there seems to always be a strong market for them. There are no expensive trainers involved and, while I am sure egos can be out there about them, I don't see anywhere near the politics that you do around horses. People seem to be genuinely enjoying themselves at the few shows I have been to. If your duck "behaves badly" or is somehow not up to someone's expectation of what it would/could/should be, it doesn't seem like the huge character incrimination it is with a horse. They are likely the first animals I have owned where they can just be animals and I can laugh and move on when they do something "wrong". And it seems like the common Joe with his humble truck and stack of poultry crates covered over with a tarp in the back has just as much chance of winning at a show as the guy with the fanciest rig in the parking lot as long as their birds can compare. I see this also in the parrot world...those little old ladies with pet birds can win big at Nationals! While I have no doubt things can get competitive I think I have seen a lot of love for the birds at the poultry shows, which surprises me because you wouldn't think you would see that much for animals that are used a lot for food.

Plus, I can show a LOT of ducks for what it would cost me to show one horse at an A-rated show! I could haul a van load of ducks across the country to a show for a fraction of what it would cost me to haul my living quarter trailer half as far. This is something my husband can actively and safely participate in too at his age. And the show prep is a snap...I've turned out five horses pretty much by myself at a show before and it's just too stressful with animals who are striving to get filthy every chance they get.

Good luck with your hatch! It is good to hear another horsey person thinking in the same vein that I am!

 

[vlapinta]

Scott,
Is anything happening with your eggs? We are in "lockdown" on day 26 and nothing.... not even a pip. Starting to worry something migt have happened in the last few days. We candled all 6 before we stopped turning and we saw movement in at least 3. The other three just looked too dark to make out anything. All had air cells that looked where they should be.

Vicki & Jaime

 

[Scott]

Quote:
Is today day 26 for you all? Did your temps stay a constant 99.5 throughout? Or did it fluctuate every so often? If so, did it flucuate lower than 99.5? If so, then it "might" take a bit longer for them to hatch. What day did you actually set them in the incubator again? They could still hatch... be patient.

Its 26-27 days for call ducks.

All 9 of mine are still developing. My hatch date isnt until Sunday/Monday. But we will see.

Keep us posted here.

 

[vlapinta]

We set them early evening on March 6th. The temperatures were constant, but we did cool down every night for @ 10-15 minutes while we misted the eggs. We put them in "lockdown" the evening of the 23rd day. Maybe that was a little early, but from what we read you are supposed to go into "lockdown" 2-3 days before hatch day. We heard that calls usually hatch on the 26th day. Now it is day 26 and not even a pip. We are worried, but still hoping for the best.
Keeping our fingers crossed!
Vicki & Jaime

 

[Scott]

Quote:
Well, if I figure correctly... your hatch day would be today/tomorrow. If you sat them on the morning of the 6th.... they should hatch today or tomorrow. Call ducks can also hatch on the 27th day. You've still got another 36 hours or so before I would get discouraged. Keep us posted. Do you hear in peeping yet?

 

[Scott]

Mine are due to hatch on Saturday/Sunday.

 

[vlapinta]

Quote:
Well, if I figure correctly... your hatch day would be today/tomorrow. If you sat them on the morning of the 6th.... they should hatch today or tomorrow. Call ducks can also hatch on the 27th day. You've still got another 36 hours or so before I would get discouraged. Keep us posted. Do you hear in peeping yet?

No peeping, and I made the room dark last night and I took a flashlight and I shined it in the top, through the cover. All I saw was aircells, no internal pip. Still fingers crossed and hopeing for the best.

 

[Luvducks]

Keeing my fingers crossed for all hatchers. Good Luck!