Da' Cute and Cuddly Call Duck thread!

[Ravynscroft]

Aww!!! Crashie is giving smooches!!!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

Ain't she sweet? Her face in that first picture gets me every time.

 

[DwayneNLiz]

My Christmas ducks came! Funny story. My poor dear husband thought that they would come to our house. So when the PO called this morning on our way to work (we carpool) he was quite surprised. He explained that he could not keep my gift a surprise since we had to go pick it up together. So now I am at work with two little quackers hanging out in my cubicle. I have watered them, luckily I had some cage clips in the car I purchased at the show this past weekend. I am as excited as a kid on Christmas. So far they haven't made a peep. Fingers crossed they don't get vocal in the office today lol. I work at an ag company so surely they would understand. View attachment 1203346 View attachment 1203347

Congrats!!!!! Theyre gorgeous!!!

@casportpony here's Button, 6 month old Snowy Call and she tops out at a whopping 445 grams!

View attachment 1203604

OMG she is precious! So tiny!

I feel like I worry you to death with questions. But do you keep pools available to your calls in the cold months? The weather is going to be pretty crappy for us this weekend and I worry with their small size they will get too cold. I've researched and I am getting mixed opinions. What do you do?

i am in NH and havent had any problems yet, they work hard to keep our stream open all winter

 

[Table4Six]

Hi!
I just received 15 call duck hatching eggs in the mail from a breeder on ebay who has all the colors and sends a wide variety. This will be my first time raising calls. I have my self blue bantam D'uccle hen sitting on 6 of the eggs and the other 9 are under my bantam golden laced black cochin hen. I'm not new to ducks, but was wondering if anyone had any helpful tips about raising and keeping this breed.

 

[WVduckchick]

Hi!
I just received 15 call duck hatching eggs in the mail from a breeder on ebay who has all the colors and sends a wide variety. This will be my first time raising calls. I have my self blue bantam D'uccle hen sitting on 6 of the eggs and the other 9 are under my bantam golden laced black cochin hen. I'm not new to ducks, but was wondering if anyone had any helpful tips about raising and keeping this breed.

I just set 18 eggs from my flock in my incubator. We'll be hatching together! You will love them!

 

[Doc McCluckins]

I have 3 in I put in on 3/1 and I put two more in last night. I am not getting many. I just have one hen out of 6 laying but I am trying to hatch all they can. What is your incubation method @WVduckchick ? Its my first spring with calls so I am of course overthinking everything. I have a GQF Sportsman cabinet incubator which is also full of chick eggs on the trays. I read that the auto turner was bad for calls so I have them sitting in the bottom on their side and every morning I turn them over the pointy end and in the evening when I get home I take them out for 15 minutes to cool, mist them and turn them over the pointy end again. The 3 eggs that are on day 6 have at least 2 embryos forming. One egg looks infertile but 2/3 is ok for my first time with my first eggs ever. Anything I should change? Temp is at 99.8F and humidity at 40-60%.

 

[Table4Six]

I just set 18 eggs from my flock in my incubator. We'll be hatching together! You will love them!

It'll be great to have someone experienced to hatch along with.

 

[Table4Six]

Here are some pics of my broody hen set up. I have added downy feathers to the nests for extra softness, heat conservancy, and to prevent the eggs from scraping the wire underneath and possibly getting broken.

 

[WVduckchick]

I have 3 in I put in on 3/1 and I put two more in last night. I am not getting many. I just have one hen out of 6 laying but I am trying to hatch all they can. What is your incubation method @WVduckchick ? Its my first spring with calls so I am of course overthinking everything. I have a GQF Sportsman cabinet incubator which is also full of chick eggs on the trays. I read that the auto turner was bad for calls so I have them sitting in the bottom on their side and every morning I turn them over the pointy end and in the evening when I get home I take them out for 15 minutes to cool, mist them and turn them over the pointy end again. The 3 eggs that are on day 6 have at least 2 embryos forming. One egg looks infertile but 2/3 is ok for my first time with my first eggs ever. Anything I should change? Temp is at 99.8F and humidity at 40-60%.

I've only incubated them a few times, so no expert with them. But I have them in a Brinsea Octagon 20, 3 rows of 6 eggs, laying on their sides. I pick up one egg on the end, roll the other 5 toward the empty spot, rotate the egg in hand, and place it back in the newly opened spot on the other end. I do each of the 3 rows that way. I've had to fully assist almost every duckling I've hatched. I lost a few that couldn't zip, so now I'm a little more aggressive. I usually wait for external pip, then give about 18 hours for zip to start. If they don't start on their own, I remove the cap and wait from there.

I'm curious about your turning over the pointy end. What's the theory there?? I also don't do (of should I say, haven't done) any specific cool-down time. I turn 3 times a day by hand, so they get a slight breather, but not a full cool down. I also don't mist until I check air cells. If they are small, I will mist, probably not until at least day 10.

I wouldn't change anything just yet. See how these do, and then worry about adjusting if necessary. I suspect 40-60% humidity will be too high, but I've heard cabinets need a little higher, so do what your air cells tell you to do.

 

[Doc McCluckins]

I've only incubated them a few times, so no expert with them. But I have them in a Brinsea Octagon 20, 3 rows of 6 eggs, laying on their sides. I pick up one egg on the end, roll the other 5 toward the empty spot, rotate the egg in hand, and place it back in the newly opened spot on the other end. I do each of the 3 rows that way. I've had to fully assist almost every duckling I've hatched. I lost a few that couldn't zip, so now I'm a little more aggressive. I usually wait for external pip, then give about 18 hours for zip to start. If they don't start on their own, I remove the cap and wait from there.

I'm curious about your turning over the pointy end. What's the theory there?? I also don't do (of should I say, haven't done) any specific cool-down time. I turn 3 times a day by hand, so they get a slight breather, but not a full cool down. I also don't mist until I check air cells. If they are small, I will mist, probably not until at least day 10.

I wouldn't change anything just yet. See how these do, and then worry about adjusting if necessary. I suspect 40-60% humidity will be too high, but I've heard cabinets need a little higher, so do what your air cells tell you to do.

This is my first go. Someone in another group I am in suggested the method I am using so I am following it verbatim. If I don't have success I will definitely try something different. I think the cooling and misting is to mimic the hen getting off the nest and returning from a dip. I was curious about turning over the pointy end. I though a horizontal rotation would be used but I'll try it his way and see how it goes.