Finally, two ducklings hatch instead of one.

cheezenkwackers

Crowing
7 Years
Aug 28, 2016
2,716
5,027
452
Memphis, TN
As many of you know, I have been trying to add Dutch Hookbills to my flock. Unfortunately, my previous two attempts at hatching eggs ended up having lone drake ducklings hatch. So, I purchased a 5 month old wild type/mallard colored Hookbill female last month. She immediately started laying eggs. When I cracked open the first egg, to eat it, I realized it was fertile from the other Hookbills she had been kept with before me. So, I saved her next few eggs and put them in the incubator. Out of the five that turned out to be fertile, two made it to hatching and with help, hatched yesterday. Looking back I probably shouldn’t have done it as the eggs were small. The babies externally pipped but could not zip. After 48 hrs I helped. Anyway, here are some pictures. They are so tiny. Smaller than other ducklings I have hatched. Makes sense I guess since the eggs were small. I think the brown one is a dusky, possibly a chocolate dusky (like a Khaki Campbell). I am not sure on the other but I am guessing dusky blue fawn with the runner pattern gene. 🤷‍♀️ If anyone has any better ideas I would love to hear them. Their mother is the bottom picture.
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How do they look like now? ☺️
Thank you for asking! They were three weeks old yesterday. Today, the brown one started making sounds which I hope are early quacks. Unfortunately, my last drake duckling made a similar sound and fooled me and others. So, I am cautiously optimistic. Their bills have moderate curves which could be better, but it is a start. They are just starting to get their real feathers. I think the light one might be blue dusky pied with dominant bib 🤷‍♀️. The dark one seems to be dusky with dominant bib. If you think otherwise I would love to know.
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Thank you for asking! They were three weeks old yesterday. Today, the brown one started making sounds which I hope are early quacks. Unfortunately, my last drake duckling made a similar sound and fooled me and others. So, I am cautiously optimistic. Their bills have moderate curves which could be better, but it is a start. They are just starting to get their real feathers. I think the light one might be blue dusky pied with dominant bib 🤷‍♀️. The dark one seems to be dusky with dominant bib. If you think otherwise I would love to know.
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They are precious ♥️
 
How lovely!
Would you like me to ask what an expert on hook bills thinks about your momma and het little ones?

He breeds them to SOP so might be able to give you the direction you have to go with breeding.

They are adorable! Love them both 😍
I would love that. I know they have a ways to go. All the Hookbills in the US are descended from the flock Holderread imported many years ago. They have been out-bred to other breeds to increase genetic variability, that is why the colors are not standard. We do not yet have any standards for Hookbills here.

If you wouldn’t mind asking about my drakes too. These are the three drakes I hatched this summer. Their bills are all straight. I believe they are all dusky, heterozygous for recessive bib. The last, youngest one, is also chocolate. He is in the process of getting his big boy feathers as he is 3 months old. I can only keep one or maybe two drakes. Currently, everyone gets along (I have 4 other older females of various breeds), but hormones are still low. Next spring could be a mess.

Pickles:
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Noodles
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Skittles
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If he had to choose he has a preference for Noodles. On the pictures they are all look to be on the heavy side for SOP (max. 4lbs).

He also shared some information which, because of privacy and copyright issues I share with you in a personal conversation ☺️

For your ducklings he likes the curve of the light one more. ( when looking to this pictures)
 

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