Had 4 hatchs this year of duck eggs.

[aurimilky]

I had 4 broody hen this year, which all sat on duck eggs, I had total of 41 duck eggs this year.

My 1st hen hatched out, 1 Khaki Campbell duckling.

My 2nd hen hatch out, 1 Khaki Campbell duckling and 1 Silver Appleyard duckling hatched.

Later on my 3rd hen hatched out, 10 ducklings of Welsh Harlequin and Silver Appleyard, which 8 survived.

At this point, I thought that my hatch rate, was very good for my first time hatch ducks.

Then the problem came, I ordered 12 Cayuga duck eggs from two sellers. One set of eggs turned up to my home, 4 days late and the other set off eggs got damaged in post, 1 got broken in parcel and hatch day came and when. I shocked to see a new Cayuga duckling, out with it new mum. She had abandoned the nest.

So I went to go check the other eggs, by candling them. They where cold to the touch and smelled rotten. So I when to bin them and sadly 5 of them, where still alive which I lost.

Right now I am blaming my self, for the lost of them and my family is also blaming me, for the lost of them. I was only one that candled them and no one else in my family helped to candled them. I feel very saddened about it. It was my first time hatching duck eggs.

My family keeps blaming me and telling me how they would have done, it better then me. I know that I caused the problem, which I am very sad, about it was the 4th hatch this year from 4 of my hens and I feel like I failed.

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

Don't beat yourself up. Hatching is hard and we all learn as we go. I have killed little ducks more than once and feel really bad about it, but learned from it and kept going. I am now a pretty good hatcher. Anybody who criticizes you doesn't understand how hard this is. Ignore them and try again. Cute ducklings in your future.

 

[DrumstickRanchTex]

I had 4 broody hen this year, which all sat on duck eggs, I had total of 41 duck eggs this year.

My 1st hen hatched out, 1 Khaki Campbell duckling.

My 2nd hen hatch out, 1 Khaki Campbell duckling and 1 Silver Appleyard duckling hatched.

Later on my 3rd hen hatched out, 10 ducklings of Welsh Harlequin and Silver Appleyard, which 8 survived.

At this point, I thought that my hatch rate, was very good for my first time hatch ducks.

Then the problem came, I ordered 12 Cayuga duck eggs from two sellers. One set of eggs turned up to my home, 4 days late and the other set off eggs got damaged in post, 1 got broken in parcel and hatch day came and when. I shocked to see a new Cayuga duckling, out with it new mum. She had abandoned the nest.

So I went to go check the other eggs, by candling them. They where cold to the touch and smelled rotten. So I when to bin them and sadly 5 of them, where still alive which I lost.

Right now I am blaming my self, for the lost of them and my family is also blaming me, for the lost of them. I was only one that candled them and no one else in my family helped to candled them. I feel very saddened about it. It was my first time hatching duck eggs.

My family keeps blaming me and telling me how they would have done, it better then me. I know that I caused the problem, which I am very sad, about it was the 4th hatch this year from 4 of my hens and I feel like I failed.

Young mothers dont always have good maternal skills. I’ve consistently had really good luck with putting eggs under a muscovy hen. Some will hatch 25 or even 30. They are better than the incubators I have indoors.
Ive never bought eggs via the post office, but Ive found eggs available somewhat locally and brought them home for a muscovy to hatch. I often put a combination of goose eggs, muscovy eggs, regular duck eggs, under a muscovy and Ive always had awesome results and the eggs all hatch together. Muscovies will also hatch clutches of chicken eggs. Best of luck to you. Dave

 

[aurimilky]

Don't beat yourself up. Hatching is hard and we all learn as we go. I have killed little ducks more than once and feel really bad about it, but learned from it and kept going. I am now a pretty good hatcher.

Yes I feel better now. I Hatch chicks before in the past. It was first time hatching duck eggs by broody hens it was fun.

Anybody who criticizes you doesn't understand how hard this is. Ignore them and try again.

Yes very true the big decision can sometimes be hard.

Cute ducklings in your future.

Add some photos of my new ducks and duckling in my next post.

 

[aurimilky]

Young mothers dont always have good maternal skills.

Yes my hens are about 3 year to 2 year old and love hatch eggs but yes sometime things go wrong.

I’ve consistently had really good luck with putting eggs under a muscovy hen. Some will hatch 25 or even 30. They are better than the incubators I have indoors.
Ive never bought eggs via the post office, but Ive found eggs available somewhat locally and brought them home for a muscovy to hatch. I often put a combination of goose eggs, muscovy eggs, regular duck eggs, under a muscovy and Ive always had awesome results and the eggs all hatch together. Muscovies will also hatch clutches of chicken eggs.

Oh very nice. I had one Muscovy duckling last year. My incubator only hatched out one duckling. So my family got a Muscovy from a local farm to keep it company. It was under the stairs in my family's house and it kept waking my family up. My family told over looking after them. Unfortunately we lost the duckling and the Muscovy duckling when back to farm.

Best of luck to you. Dave

Yes will get more next year now my mum said that I not aloud to buy any this year. I problem at one of my new ducks to hatch new eggs next year.

 

[aurimilky]

Here is some photos of my cute ducks and duckling.