Finally Getting My Eggs!!

[ducklover15]

I ordered some Indian Runner eggs from a breeder, but suddenly their hens stopped laying! I was crossing my fingers that their laying season wasn't over...and today I got an e-mail telling me that 13 eggs were shipped!! Yay!!

I'm really hoping to get some show quality ducks from this bunch. The parents are show birds from the Holderread stock!

And I'm only planning on keeping three of the same color. I got assorted colors, so I have no idea what colors I'm going to be hatching.

I was also wondering if anyone would be interested in the ducklings I have left over? And what a good price for them would be?

If someone 100%, for sure wants them then I can box them up and ship them the day they hatch. So please let me know!! If all goes well I should have 10 extra runner ducklings.

 

[Willowbrook]

As a wise, old person once said..."don't count your ducks until they hatch." Well, actually it was me, but I digress...good luck with your eggs.
I have exhibition Runners from Holderreads and when they hatch, you will not have any idea which ones will be "show quality birds," (if any) until they mature.
You might easily be selling off the ones that might be the show birds you want.
As far as pricing goes, unless you have somone that knows about Holderreads, and what exhibition stock is, most will not pay top dollar for a possibility that may or may not happen, if a show bird is their intent.

 

[rainplace]

where are you located, and what colors are you wanting so I know which ones you may be getting rid of.

 

[ducklover15]

That's very true...I just don't know how long my parents will let me keep all of the birds for me to decide which ones are the best looking. So if they make me sell right away, I'm only going to be able to keep 3 of the same color and I'll have to sell the rest (no matter what quality they are). I really bought these eggs because my brother and I want runners. There aren't any for sale within a good driving distance so buying eggs seemed to be our best route. Getting show birds would only be a bonus to us.

The breeder who sold me the eggs have these colors: GREY (MALLARD PATTERN), WHITE, CHOCOLATE, PENCILED, FAWN & WHITE, BLUE FAWN, APRICOT, LAVENDER, & FAIRY FAWN. But they didn't separate them, so I really have no idea what colors to expect and neither do they.

I plan on keeping chocolate, lavender or penciled ducklings (depending on what I get). I'm located in south-east Michigan.

 

[CityChicker]

As Willowbrook said- don't count your ducks until they hatch! Expect for the best, but try not to be disappointed if you don't get what you hope for. The likelihood of hatching 13 out of 13 is pretty low.

I recently got some Runner eggs (actually the same colors as you!). Not even 50% were fertile, which is not terribly unusual for this time of year. One of the eggs had already been partially incubated, possibly because of the heat they were shipped in (although doubtful). A couple others developed part way, but then died. When all was said and done, 2 of 12 hatched. That is *somewhat* typical for shipped duck eggs especially when there are other challenges (time of year, the heat, age of the eggs, etc...).

Of course, sometimes you have great hatches too! I am incubating a group of shipped Snowy Mallard eggs right now and have 100% fertility and development. This is the exception though, not the rule.

 

[ducklover15]

I hatched 4 out of 6 shipped call duck eggs this year, so hopefully I can get at least half of them to hatch. But thanks for the advice guys!!

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a good hatch!

 

[Duck Keeper]

Quote:
I asked them repeatedly if they separate their birds, and they said "They're separated by genes."

I decided I'd never buy from them.

If you have a cross of two different colors, that's considered a different 'breed' (like if you crossed a German Shepherd with a Golden Retriever (same species, different breed)), so I don't know if you could show them anyhow.

But ducks are awesome.

You'll want to keep them for a while to be able to tell if they're males or females anyway, since it isn't apparent at birth.
You have to wait for a drake feather to start developing, or their voices to change.
Males do a 'kwek kwek,' whereas females will start to QUACKPEEPQUACK randomly throughout the day.




EDIT: I say 'anyway' too much. :O

 

[ducklover15]

I got the eggs yesterday!!! Woo!!!!!

I put 7 of them under my broody duck (this is her third time going broody this year!! *gasp*) and the other 6 are in the bator!

I'm crossing my fingers for a good hatch!

I got 4 extremely small eggs, so I'm not expecting much from those...but who knows? Maybe I could get some really tiny runners!