Diary & Notes ~ Air Cell Detatched SHIPPED Chicken Eggs for incubation and hatching

[rbaker0345]

I have been using a butterfly infusion cath for the little ones and it has been doing a better job. I also have found that if they're about the size of a 5wk old chick, I can take a 1cc syringe and put it right down into the crop ala the crop needle method, but the 1cc syringe has that nice rounded edge on it, so it causes little to no irritation and there's no danger of having a tube slip out and aspirate the chick as they're struggling.

How big is the duckling, Sally? I could ship you a cath tube and have it to you in a couple of days.
I try to avoid tubing the little ones, I only do it when I know they're absolutely going to die if they don't get nourishment. Their crops are so little and haven't expanded yet, its easy to overflow their crops right up into their tracheas. But a duckling is a bit bigger than your average chick. I have an extra butterfly cath and an extra #6 which is where I would start. I would go to petsmart and get a baby bird replacer formula or I've even used Nestum before, soaked mash will clog the tubes up in a second.

 

[casportpony]

Day 14 silky duck weigh in all look fantastic at candle,
I wish I could upload to youtube and keep the quality of the film, you cant even see the great veining in it after upload!
Does anyone have another site I can use to get better uploads of videos?
these are all over the place! ughhhh I have about until day 18-19 to get them to 14-17% (that's 4-5 days)

#5 & #13 lost 15.16% & 16.84%

(I will have to move them to hatcher and up humidity for them earlier (they are now on WATCH)
#2, 6 7 8 11 & 18 are only in the 10% range so these guys I will dip more often each day in hopes to keep going. 6 & 7 being the ones at lowest lost point. (I may sand these a tad again)

Thanks for posting this, it's very helpful as I have two pea eggs under a hen and they had already lost ~7% by day 7.

-Kathy

 

[rbaker0345]

I'll try to take pics of my maybe sex linked meat birds in my copious spare time.

On the chorioallantoic membrane drawback front, I have had two hatch in really good health, one that i had marked as having good recession of membrane and vessels and one that I had marked as having no visible drawback at all. I'll keep you updated on health.

 

[rbaker0345]

What should the % be for a duck? I know that a chicken egg is between 13-18% loss and a turkey should be around 12%, but I never even thought about a duck. I don't really ever hatch duck eggs. With muscovies, I'm lucky I get a few to make a custard with before the girls have plopped their rear ends on the nest. Its okay though, I like muscovy breast much better than muscovy eggs.


Oh, I forgot to tell you the coolest thing. I have a turkey tom sitting on a muscovy nest, alongside a muscovy hen. Is this common? Do turkey toms incubate eggs? I did take a pic of that one and will post it as soon as I get a chance. I have to ask the people on the turkey thread if they've ever seen this.

Also, Sally, could you PM me the name of the person who you got favs from in NC? I'm having the hardest time finding faverolles nearby. I did get some eggs from a byc member named piperomar and they are developing really well, super air sacs.

 

[casportpony]

The different types of crops:


Ducks are like one of the two on the left. I haven't necropsied one, so not positive which one it is, but regurgitation is a real concern with them, way more so than with chicken chicks. FYI, pigeons have that weird double one, lol.

-Kathy

 

[Sally Sunshine]

​

These are posts on how to tube a larger bird, but you might find some useful info them:

• https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...cken-and-give-subcutaneous-fluid#post_9910754
• https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...-for-visuals-very-detailed-post#post_11652991

-Kathy

awesome! If I had supplies I may have attempted it, but I have nothing like that. I cant believe they can do birds that small, very cool and very awesome info to have. Thank you Kathy!

 

[rbaker0345]

I've butchered muscovies and they have the second to the left, but muscovies aren't like other ducks. I don't think they ever are, technically a duck.

 

[casportpony]

I've butchered muscovies and they have the second to the left, but muscovies aren't like other ducks. I don't think they ever are, technically a duck.

Good to know about the crop, but doesn't make it easier, lol.

-Kathy

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I'll try to take pics of my maybe sex linked meat birds in my copious spare time.

On the chorioallantoic membrane drawback front, I have had two hatch in really good health, one that i had marked as having good recession of membrane and vessels and one that I had marked as having no visible drawback at all. I'll keep you updated on health.

What should the % be for a duck? I know that a chicken egg is between 13-18% loss and a turkey should be around 12%, but I never even thought about a duck. I don't really ever hatch duck eggs. With muscovies, I'm lucky I get a few to make a custard with before the girls have plopped their rear ends on the nest. Its okay though, I like muscovy breast much better than muscovy eggs.


Oh, I forgot to tell you the coolest thing. I have a turkey tom sitting on a muscovy nest, alongside a muscovy hen. Is this common? Do turkey toms incubate eggs? I did take a pic of that one and will post it as soon as I get a chance. I have to ask the people on the turkey thread if they've ever seen this.

Also, Sally, could you PM me the name of the person who you got favs from in NC? I'm having the hardest time finding faverolles nearby. I did get some eggs from a byc member named piperomar and they are developing really well, super air sacs.

will do.....
and no clue on the turkey lol I bet its cute!

I am shooting to have a range of 14-17% for these silky ducks and trying to not have to loose weight at the last days, so I can offer them humidity before actually getting into position. its tough! If I loose them again around day 18-19 with the blood vessels receding I will know for sure its genetics because so far these are looking half decent for weight loss.

BTW they are little silkie ducks

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Ducky doesnt look at energetic, now I loose hope yet again.


updated image of umbilical area