Colorado

[PirateGirl]

I will be drowning in goslings if they all hatch. They have 18 eggs. I only hatched 2/10 last year in an incubator but they will do better.
One more girl hatched last night. All 4 adults were on the older active nest when I went out to feed. Hope someone stayed with the second nest last night .

It will be interesting to see how your broody hatch rate compares to your incubator hatch rate.

 

[Percheron chick]

Now have 4. Already eating lettuce. Off to Costco ...

 

[Mtn Margie]

They are adorable!

 

[PirateGirl]

I'm thinking about attempting to hatch some Swedish ducklings this summer, but I am not looking to expand my flock. Is this something anyone has an interest in adding to their flock? The ducklings could be blue, black, or splash and would be straight run, minimum of 2 ducklings. I don't want to ship live birds, but would consider meeting someone on the road in the middle somewhere. I'm still not sure if I'm going to do this, but it would certainly be a fun and educational little project.

 

[Percheron chick]

I would think that just because Swedish blues are rather uncommon, you wouldn't have much trouble selling ducklings.

 

[PirateGirl]

I would think that just because Swedish blues are rather uncommon, you wouldn't have much trouble selling ducklings.

I've never hatched anything before, but I know I can't keep them once they hatch so I need to have a plan in place

 

[lomine]

@PirateGirl I'm sure you wouldn't have trouble selling them, especially if you are willing to let them be someone's dinner.

My order of WH and Saxony from Holderread's should be coming the week of May 7th. I'm very excited about the Saxony.

My last batch of eggs seems to be done. Sadly only 2 of the 5 AM eggs that made it to lockdown hatched. I'm going to leave them in a bit longer but I'm not expecting much. I did get a Blue and a Splash to hatch so that's exciting. I am hoping at least 1 is a boy to help increase my fertility rates. Both my AM hens are now broody. I won't be getting any more of their eggs for a long time so these 2 are all I get for now. I am pretty happy I was finally able to hatch them but 2 out of 14 or 15 egg set is pretty bad.

The other 6 eggs that made it to lockdown all hatched so I was happy about that too. I gave 3 chicks to the broody AM that started sitting just 5 days after I set them. She took them without issue and seems very happy. I really hope at least 1 is a girl so she can have a buddy for longer. A few of the eggs she was sitting on started developing so they are in the incubator now. The other broody started last week and some of her eggs are developing too.

 

[Percheron chick]

4/9 hatched from the first nest. Parents have been ignoring the remaining 5 for the past 2 days. They are only worring about the hatchlings. Every time I went to remove the eggs, someone would be sitting on them so I put it off. This morning with the snow, I took the eggs away because they were ice cold. Threw them in the bator to candle when I got home. Wouldn't you know it. One is zipping. There is one stinker but it's going to have to wait.

 

[lomine]

I got an email notification. My ducklings should come tomorrow or Thursday.

 

[Percheron chick]

Good thing it wasn't today.