- May 11, 2013
- 4,775
- 508
- 356
Hello,
As a first-time duck owner I'd like to share my experiences from hatching all the way through to adolescence! I'm hoping that through documenting my ducklings' growth I can create some solid memories of when they were still tiny and cute, and also to help other first-time duck owners if they come across the same problems (and pleasures) I have with raising them. And most importantly, TO LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES!
I bought three eggs from a renowned local breeder, Mr. Dan Jerome, who is well known for his excellent show line of Call Ducks. I won't include their incubation, because it would pretty much just be filled with identical entries of me hovering and worrying for three and a half weeks straight!
Thank you for taking the time to read, and I hope you enjoy!
7/13/2014: First egg has had an internal pip for 24 hours. I can't see it in the air cell anymore and it hasn't moved or peeped in at least 8 hours, I have decided to intervene. Peeled some shell until I saw a beak, there's still some blood. Oh, god. What have I done. It opened its eye, at least it's still alive! Upped the humidity in the bator and placed it back. It's peeping now. Good.
7/14/2014: HATCH DAY! I had to help one duckling out of its shell entirely. The poor thing is so, so weak...it's trying and trying to lift its head but it just can't seem to. It just keeps flopping around the incubator, unable to get up on its feet. I want it to just rest and regain some strength but it's hell-bent on wearing itself out trying to stand! I hope it makes it through the night...
The second egg has an internal pip, two days late. Made a tiny air hole, we'll see how this one develops. The third egg, sadly, has not made it. :/ Dan tells me a 66% hatch rate is pretty incredible, especially for a first-time hatcher of Calls. Not much solace right now, though.
7/15/2014: Gave the duckling some crushed B-complex vitamin with sugar and water. It's seemed to perk it up a bit but it still can't lift its head. It just sleeps in my hand, it's so small it doesn't even fill my palm, and I've got tiny hands! It's so cute. I hope it survives. :/
7/16/2014: THE DUCKLING STOOD UP! It's still pretty wobbly, but it's walking! I also think it's a girl. I could be wrong, I don't trust myself with vent-sexing so I could have just done it incorrectly, but I didn't see anything in there, so hopefully I got the girl I wanted! However, it has a tendency to flip onto its back and will just cry and wiggle its feet like a flipped turtle. It'd be so sad if it weren't so adorable and funny to watch. It's just so, so tiny. To give you a sense of scale, those are water bottle caps full of food in the background.
I'm amazed at how much I've slipped into being a "duck mommy". My husband and I are childless by choice, but I fear I've become a new mom all the same! I sleep when the duckling sleeps. I've taken to carrying spare food, water, diapers and heating pads in my purse. I spend all of my time cooing at the baby. Dear Husband is showing off photos and videos of the duckling to his friends and co-workers! Even my own mother calls it her "grand-duckling". Oi-vay.
7/17/2014: It's been 48 hours and still no external pip on the second egg. Dan said that with his show-quality birds it's rare that he has a baby that was able to pierce the shell unassisted so I shouldn't feel too bad. I peeled back the shell and found the entire air cell full of 'ling - the little stinker had shoved itself so far up into the large end that the small end was totally empty, and still no external pip! What, was it trying to headbutt through it like the Kool-Aid man?
Got the duckling out! This one is much, much stronger than the first, whom I've decided to name Wobbles to due her shakiness on her feet. It took three whole days for Wobbles to be able to lift her head and stand up, but this one is managing to do that within minutes of being de-shelled!
As you can see, they're hard to tell apart and are the same size, even though they're so far apart in age. The only thing I distinguish them by is behavior; Wobbles always, ALWAYS runs backwards before taking a poop, and Pea's chirps are slightly higher-pitched. Pea is on the right, still not quite done fluffing up. Moving them to the larger brooder this evening.
7/18/2014: Both Wobbles and Sugarpea went to the vet. Pea has been sneezing and shaking his head since this morning, and I fear it may be aspergillosis. I was alone and had to pick up my cat from the cet (emergency tail sutures), so I took them with me. I noticed a musty smell in my car. After some searching, I found a baseball-sized circle of mold on the backseat and a cloud of spores all over the upholstery, apparently my rear window is leaking and now I've gone and exposed my new babies to it! Ugh, what is the MATTER with me, why didn't I think to check before placing them in an enclosed space like that for an entire half hour? Making an emergency call to the only vet's office in my town that specializes in waterfowl.
At the vet's now. Really scared. Both got their nares flushed and had stool samples taken, vet found some crusting inside Pea's nostrils. Wobbles seems clear but she's started to shake her head and sneeze a bit too. Vet says they look good and their energy levels are great so I shouldn't worry, but I am still freaking out right now.
Even the tiny scale dwarfs Wobbles. She's 4 oz on the dot, Pea is 4.1. I have socks that weigh more than them!
7/20/2014: Ducks went to the vet for their second nasal flush. Wobbles peeped the loudest. Poor little thing, my glasses earpieces terrify her now because of their resemblance to the rubber hose the vet used to squirt the water in her bill! The 'lings were the talk of the vet's office, as usual.
No less than three assistants came in to coo and snuggle them! The vet said she couldn't find any crusting and they seem perfectly healthy...but they're still sneezing. Their brooder is plastic, lined with a no-slip silicone carpet pad, I clean it every day and I don't think their crumbles would be dusty enough to cause respiratory issues...what's going on?
Wobbles is six days old now! And to be honest, she's only now reaching the size that most other duck breeds are at day 1. She is TINY. I hope this means I get a super-small Call! Pea is bigger, even though he's three days younger. He was also much stronger coming out of the shell though, so maybe I just have a normal duck and a runt. Either way, they are my entire life. <3
Went to the feed store, which doubles as an organic farm. The clerk said that for giving her the pleasure of seeing such adorable baby ducks, I got three of their honey sticks for free (taken from their own beehive, no less)! I had one in my tea. It was lovely! They also had some runners on the premises gobbling up all their newly-ripened strawberries. I love those funny little guys! They walk like people!
As an added bonus I made a video about my lil' runt Wobbles. Apparently it's gotten popular on youtube!
As a first-time duck owner I'd like to share my experiences from hatching all the way through to adolescence! I'm hoping that through documenting my ducklings' growth I can create some solid memories of when they were still tiny and cute, and also to help other first-time duck owners if they come across the same problems (and pleasures) I have with raising them. And most importantly, TO LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES!
I bought three eggs from a renowned local breeder, Mr. Dan Jerome, who is well known for his excellent show line of Call Ducks. I won't include their incubation, because it would pretty much just be filled with identical entries of me hovering and worrying for three and a half weeks straight!
Thank you for taking the time to read, and I hope you enjoy!
7/13/2014: First egg has had an internal pip for 24 hours. I can't see it in the air cell anymore and it hasn't moved or peeped in at least 8 hours, I have decided to intervene. Peeled some shell until I saw a beak, there's still some blood. Oh, god. What have I done. It opened its eye, at least it's still alive! Upped the humidity in the bator and placed it back. It's peeping now. Good.
7/14/2014: HATCH DAY! I had to help one duckling out of its shell entirely. The poor thing is so, so weak...it's trying and trying to lift its head but it just can't seem to. It just keeps flopping around the incubator, unable to get up on its feet. I want it to just rest and regain some strength but it's hell-bent on wearing itself out trying to stand! I hope it makes it through the night...
The second egg has an internal pip, two days late. Made a tiny air hole, we'll see how this one develops. The third egg, sadly, has not made it. :/ Dan tells me a 66% hatch rate is pretty incredible, especially for a first-time hatcher of Calls. Not much solace right now, though.
7/15/2014: Gave the duckling some crushed B-complex vitamin with sugar and water. It's seemed to perk it up a bit but it still can't lift its head. It just sleeps in my hand, it's so small it doesn't even fill my palm, and I've got tiny hands! It's so cute. I hope it survives. :/
7/16/2014: THE DUCKLING STOOD UP! It's still pretty wobbly, but it's walking! I also think it's a girl. I could be wrong, I don't trust myself with vent-sexing so I could have just done it incorrectly, but I didn't see anything in there, so hopefully I got the girl I wanted! However, it has a tendency to flip onto its back and will just cry and wiggle its feet like a flipped turtle. It'd be so sad if it weren't so adorable and funny to watch. It's just so, so tiny. To give you a sense of scale, those are water bottle caps full of food in the background.
I'm amazed at how much I've slipped into being a "duck mommy". My husband and I are childless by choice, but I fear I've become a new mom all the same! I sleep when the duckling sleeps. I've taken to carrying spare food, water, diapers and heating pads in my purse. I spend all of my time cooing at the baby. Dear Husband is showing off photos and videos of the duckling to his friends and co-workers! Even my own mother calls it her "grand-duckling". Oi-vay.
7/17/2014: It's been 48 hours and still no external pip on the second egg. Dan said that with his show-quality birds it's rare that he has a baby that was able to pierce the shell unassisted so I shouldn't feel too bad. I peeled back the shell and found the entire air cell full of 'ling - the little stinker had shoved itself so far up into the large end that the small end was totally empty, and still no external pip! What, was it trying to headbutt through it like the Kool-Aid man?
Got the duckling out! This one is much, much stronger than the first, whom I've decided to name Wobbles to due her shakiness on her feet. It took three whole days for Wobbles to be able to lift her head and stand up, but this one is managing to do that within minutes of being de-shelled!
As you can see, they're hard to tell apart and are the same size, even though they're so far apart in age. The only thing I distinguish them by is behavior; Wobbles always, ALWAYS runs backwards before taking a poop, and Pea's chirps are slightly higher-pitched. Pea is on the right, still not quite done fluffing up. Moving them to the larger brooder this evening.
7/18/2014: Both Wobbles and Sugarpea went to the vet. Pea has been sneezing and shaking his head since this morning, and I fear it may be aspergillosis. I was alone and had to pick up my cat from the cet (emergency tail sutures), so I took them with me. I noticed a musty smell in my car. After some searching, I found a baseball-sized circle of mold on the backseat and a cloud of spores all over the upholstery, apparently my rear window is leaking and now I've gone and exposed my new babies to it! Ugh, what is the MATTER with me, why didn't I think to check before placing them in an enclosed space like that for an entire half hour? Making an emergency call to the only vet's office in my town that specializes in waterfowl.
At the vet's now. Really scared. Both got their nares flushed and had stool samples taken, vet found some crusting inside Pea's nostrils. Wobbles seems clear but she's started to shake her head and sneeze a bit too. Vet says they look good and their energy levels are great so I shouldn't worry, but I am still freaking out right now.
Even the tiny scale dwarfs Wobbles. She's 4 oz on the dot, Pea is 4.1. I have socks that weigh more than them!
7/20/2014: Ducks went to the vet for their second nasal flush. Wobbles peeped the loudest. Poor little thing, my glasses earpieces terrify her now because of their resemblance to the rubber hose the vet used to squirt the water in her bill! The 'lings were the talk of the vet's office, as usual.
No less than three assistants came in to coo and snuggle them! The vet said she couldn't find any crusting and they seem perfectly healthy...but they're still sneezing. Their brooder is plastic, lined with a no-slip silicone carpet pad, I clean it every day and I don't think their crumbles would be dusty enough to cause respiratory issues...what's going on?Wobbles is six days old now! And to be honest, she's only now reaching the size that most other duck breeds are at day 1. She is TINY. I hope this means I get a super-small Call! Pea is bigger, even though he's three days younger. He was also much stronger coming out of the shell though, so maybe I just have a normal duck and a runt. Either way, they are my entire life. <3
Went to the feed store, which doubles as an organic farm. The clerk said that for giving her the pleasure of seeing such adorable baby ducks, I got three of their honey sticks for free (taken from their own beehive, no less)! I had one in my tea. It was lovely! They also had some runners on the premises gobbling up all their newly-ripened strawberries. I love those funny little guys! They walk like people!
As an added bonus I made a video about my lil' runt Wobbles. Apparently it's gotten popular on youtube!
