Call Duck Hen failure to commit

[aart]

The two that are peeping at me are rocking quite a bit. I hate that this process is so slow.

Can be maddening!
Thing is, sometimes that first pip stays the same for a long time,
then boom it's hatched!!

 

[BackyardBantams79]

Can be maddening!
Thing is, sometimes that first pip stays the same for a long time,
then boom it's hatched!!

Boy you sure we're right! Nothing, nothing, a little something this afternoon then vwalla! This happened...

 

[BackyardBantams79]

 

[BackyardBantams79]

Oh, and to all those who say NEVER help a bird hatch... that's just poppycock, lol. We've had one so far who's egg was extra pointy and it couldn't rotate to 'zip' the egg- just kept stuffing it's beak through the same hole for two days. I ended up watching it stuck for those two days and was trying to be patient. It got super weak and I decided that it's either let it die in the egg, or risk it dying by helping it out. I broke of just a little bit of the edge around where it would have zipped and one good push and it's head was out. It was so weak it couldn't lift it's head and didn't open it's eyes. It flopped itself over with it's legs then just lay there limp and breathing heavy. Again, I left it thinking I should let it regroup and after about half hour I put some water with electrolytes on a q-tip and let it wick into it's mouth. It didn't even fight me. Put it in the 'hatched' incubator with the other two freshly hatched and after about another hour it opened it's eyes (when I took this pic- it's the one center left). Now I can barely tell which one it was. It's up running around with the others, eating and drinking.

Have had two eggs who were completely zipped but the membrane had dried out and there was no way they'd be able to break through it. It was like plastic. I cut it and let them finish the hatch on their own, but again feel they would have been a bit doomed by exhausting themselves to death, literally.

We now have 7 of the 11 hatched and the other 4 are pipped and progressing towards either hatching tonight or tomorrow some time. If we get all 11 to hatch I'm going to be elated. I guess we can't consider it a 100% hatch if the 11 hatch (since one embryo died a week and a half ago) and the other early deaths, infertiles, and accidental demise (when I broke one) we had. Honestly though, I feel like 12 of the eggs were really all we've had control over with the actual process. So one loss, fingers crossed, knock on wood since we're still awaiting these last arrivals, really is a good outcome considering it's our first time incubating ANYTHING, they're call ducks, and some of the eggs were upwards of 3 weeks old (granted, I attest the initial early deaths to the old egg thing). Plus if you put in perspective what these eggs went through, lol, it's a wonder ANY of them hatched! Sitting in a chicken nest for a week (lost a couple to blue jays this way since the kids left the egg collection door open) hoping a hen would take interest, putting them in with the duck who showed interest until she didn't 4 days later all while slowly kicking more and more eggs out of the nest.

Pics of the flock being posted soon! We'll wait until tomorrow when our newest is all dried and can come join the others in the brooder (it's in an incubator with a buddy over night). Will possibly have more by then, but at least it'll be daylight.

 

[BackyardBantams79]

ALL ELEVEN HATCHED!!!!!!

All are doing well!!!! We've handled all of them extensively once they come out of the 'nursery' incubator and are dry and fluffy. I laid down on floor with 7 of them earlier and after they bolted all over the pace like cockroaches BWAAHAAA!!!, they all piled up next to me nibbling on my chin, neck, and nose, lol. They are so damn adorable even my husband, who wasn't a fan of the idea of hatching MORE animals, has been grinning ear to ear and checking on them regularly lol. Even texted me last night when one hatched. He tries to look big and tough, but he's just a softy in disguise. Pics to come after my cell charges!!!!