Chicken or Duck?

[Miss Lydia]

Clipping wings is not hard I just did my female Muscovy's.

 

[Pyxis]

Alright, if it hatches as a duck I think I will go with the Metzer Farms. I'm considering either a mallard, golden 300 hybrid layer, or a duclair. They're all available or will be available very soon. I like the mallard's small size, but I'm concerned that they would fly away? They would be in the coop, and I'm also building a covered run, but I like to let them out to free range when I'm watching them. Those would be my first choice, as long as they stay where they live. I also like the egg production of the golden layer, and their coloring. However, is there any health effects they might have due to how much they lay? Also, will they or the duclair be too big compared to my little call duck? Sorry for all the questions. Never thought I'd be shopping for ducks in the near future!

So far, no external pipping. Thought I heard a chirp, but it could have just been from the chicks a couple rooms away. How long do ducks generally take to hatch after they pip externally?

Mallards would be the match size-wise, and if you clip their wings they won't fly away. Calls also fly. I keep my Calls in with full size ducks and don't have problems, though, so if you want a larger breed it should be fine. It's actually the Calls that boss the big ones around here

Ducks can take a long time to hatch, so you'll have to be very patient. However if it hasn't externally pipped by 18 hours after it internally pipped, I would consider doing a safety hole, since Calls can have a lot of trouble hatching.

 

[diamondsilkies]

I have a silkie who is the same way. She's pet quality, but such a sweetie and I couldn't part with her, so she lives with my standard sized egg layers. She is quite the boss, almost at the top of the pecking order!

I'll probably get a mallard then, since I like the little ducks best. I know the egg was internally pipped by around 7:15 this morning, since it was rocking/chirping. That would make 18 hours around...one in the morning tonight? I doubt I'll be up that late. I usually go to bed around 10 or 11? If it's not pipped then should I put a safety hole, or should I wait until the morning? I'll be up around 6:30 tomorrow...

 

[Pyxis]

Go ahead and put the safety hole in before you go to sleep if it hasn't pipped, doing it early won't hurt anything

 

[Pyxis]

Instructions for a safety hole:

To start with, candle your egg to see if the chick has internally pipped. An internal pip will look like a triangular shadow in the air cell. Below is a picture of an internally pipped chick.

When it is time for the safety hole, candle the egg to determine the position of the air cell. Once you know where the air cell is and where it's safe to make the hole, take your screw or drill bit and gently twist it back and forth on the egg while applying slight pressure. Eventually, the screw will create a small hole in the shell. Eggs with tough shells like geese might take awhile to break through, just keep going. Please note that this should be a small hole. There is no need to widen it further than the size that is made by the tip of the screw. Widening it may even lead to shrinkwrapping. After making the hole, you can put the egg back into the incubator and let it work on absorbing and getting ready to hatch.

 

[cottontail farm]

Joining in to watch!

 

[Pyxis]

Watch it turn out to be a really late silkie after all the suspense

 

[casportpony]

Watch it turn out to be a really late silkie after all the suspense

That will be one for the record books!

 

[diamondsilkies]

lol, now that would be a surprise!

OK, thank you for the safety hole instructions. I'll do that tonight before I go to bed, if it hasn't pipped yet, and if candling verifies that it really is internally pipped.

Just a quick question, are there any issues with keeping ducks with chickens?

 

[cottontail farm]

I have a had a broody hen that hatched a duck for me a couple of years back.... That poor duck still thinks she's a chicken you should have heard the pittiful wailing that went on the first time "mama" got on roost for the night.
That duck still prefers to hang out with chickens but she'll be with the other ducks now too.
I have always kept chickens, ducks and geese together with zero problems. I know people warn about the danger of waterfowl on chicken mating (sorry) but I have never once seen this happen.