First-Timer

[littlecollier]

Hello!

After 5+ years of contemplating, planning and preparing for ducklings, we are finally ready to attempt our first hatch! I’m absolutely thrilled.

I’ve been lurking around BYC for some time and love the community and support it offers.

Friends of ours have a pair of Ancona ducks and have generously offered us eggs. In our city we are allowed up to three ducks so I plan on attempting with four eggs seeing as I doubt we will have anywhere near 100% success.

Our incubator and hygrometer arrive today and we will be getting them set up and settled over the next few days with a goal of setting on Friday (and ultimately around a Friday hatch so we can have the weekend to imprint!)

Will post photos and updates along the way! Cross your fingers and toes for us, we will need all the luck we can get!

XOXO,
C.

 

[littlecollier]

How exciting! I would love ducks but the lake is quite a jaunt from the house. I'll just live vicariously through the duck people here.
Fingers and toes are crossed for you!

Thank you! We are planning a pond for them to enjoy once it’s warm! Hoping to create a little duckling paradise.

 

[Rachealx4]

How exciting! I would love ducks but the lake is quite a jaunt from the house. I'll just live vicariously through the duck people here.
Fingers and toes are crossed for you!

 

[littlecollier]

Incubator was just delivered! So excited to get home and plug it in!

 

[littlecollier]

I couldn’t help myself and let the little fruit basket meet in the new giant brooder I made today. It’s 4x4 with 3’ sides and everyone is fast asleep together.

 

[Jpat]

i actualy hate you right now hahaha

 

[jennybvcr]

@jennybvcr You are amazing! I will do that starting today. She kind of forages throughout the bedding for leftovers in addition to out of their feeder, but I imagine she’s not getting that much of the yeast because of that ... Liquid it is!

It’s actually @Miss Lydia who is amazing. She’s talked me through all my ducky worries so far.

 

[littlecollier]

@jennybvcr Your family sounds like my partner ... He’s CONSTANTLY telling me to go get a glass of water. So simple, but so true! (I hate admitting he’s right!)

And let’s all take a moment to sing @Miss Lydia’s praises - She is a lifesaver! Totally helped me through a ton of worries as well.

 

[littlecollier]

Keep us updated on all the exciting happenings !!

Thank you! It’s going to get exciting when I get home from work today!

 

[littlecollier]

No apologies necessary @WVduckchick ! Life is busy and things often get lost in the internet.

Things are progressing well. I'd share photos but I don't have a image hosting site at the moment. I think we are on Day 11-13 respectively (since the eggs were laid on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday, under a hen and then straight into the 'bator on Sunday).

My math may be slightly off and I know things won't be perfectly timed, but should be hatching around what I am now calling Cinco-de-Ducko.

I need to get a little more serious about sourcing my brooding gear. My partner keeps telling me not to get anything big that we have to store for too long, but being the planner that I am, I'd like to get it done and ready to go this weekend. We'll see.

Still struggling with temp and RH consistency, but doing my best. I don't let the RH get below 30% if I can help it and keep the temp between 99.5-100.5 (though I honestly don't trust my three thermometers or their wild temp swings that seem to happen constantly). Let's just hope those little babies are fairing well in their shells.

Excited to take a peek at them with the candler this weekend ... Doing my best not to disturb them too often (though it's incredibly tempting).

We ripped up our entire backyard last weekend and have redrawn our plans for the eventual enclosure and pond for the ducks. So happy to have come to the same conclusion as my partner as to placement and structure ... That doesn't always happen. Now to get everything settled and built before mid-June when I anticipate them going outside.

Just over two more weeks until we meet our duckos ....