Hands on hatching and help

[RubyNala97]

@RubyNala97. Thank you for telling me about washing the vent. Did not know that, but it makes sense.
Thanks. Linda

I can't take the credit. FridayYet had told me to look out for that on an extremely sticky chick I had that hatched assisted. His eyes were sealed at hatch too and I got them open with warm water. Sure enough when I checked his vent it was sealed. He went to the bathroom right in the bath! Poor guy!

I pulled 5 more Barnie eggs that were clear.  Had marked them but left them in on Friday since I couldn't see into them very well, but yup, they were clear when opened. Today is day 11.

Of the 19 left, 5 still have loose air cells and 2 have air cells completely on the side. (Weird!)  Hoping 12 make it to lockdown, and assuming half die then, we're still on track for 6 to hatch.  

the sideways air cells are so strange, right?! I had one once but it never developed.

 

[Ravynscroft]

She has some good looking ducks.  I will have to look into her eggs when I find out what hatches.  We actually have 10 other ducklings coming on Thursday.  We are trying to get a variety of ducks that can breed a bunch of unique and different looking ducklings next year.  Come next years breeding season (barring any catastrophes) multiple anconas, blue, chocolate, fawn n white and black runners, blue swedish, magpies, khaki campbells, buff orpingtons, cayugas and Welsh harlequins and all with the potential of being crested (as the ones coming in thursday are randomly crested).  Oughta give us quite a diverse group of chicks next year.  The fun part will be hatching the lil guys because every egg will be a surprise!

There isn't any kind of problems I would need to worry about by mixing all these breeds is there???

If you just want mixed ducks, you should be fine... as long as you don't sell eggs or ducklings as any type of pure breed then you're fine... those are all mallard derived so breeding is possible all around... if you breed Muscovy to any of those, the ducklings will be 'mules', as in sterile, so that is generally not done...

I would suggest reading up on crested though... if you have crested drakes, I wouldn't keep crested hens... or if you have crested hens, I wouldn't keep crested drakes... cresting is caused by a hole in the skull that tissue pokes out of... it *can* lead to neurological issues and breeding crested to crested is asking for those plus much DIS...

 

[RubyNala97]

@RavynFallenI got the pics! Unfortunately one of them quit!! So I'm down to one egg on day 16 & 1/2. Not looking good since it would still have to hatch. It was actually really hard to get a pic of the bottom because it is laying down so everything goes to the bottom of one side. There was only one side of the bottom that I could get any light into. I took multiple pics of the air cell since it's not a even saddle. One side of the saddle is large and the other half is small. Let me know what you think, please.

The pics are loading all wacky!! Baby just started crying! I'll try to fix them in the morning! Ugh!!

 

[Ravynscroft]

@RavynFallenI got the pics! Unfortunately one of them quit!! So I'm down to one egg on day 16 & 1/2. Not looking good since it would still have to hatch. It was actually really hard to get a pic of the bottom because it is laying down so everything goes to the bottom of one side. There was only one side of the bottom that I could get any light into. I took multiple pics of the air cell since it's not a even saddle. One side of the saddle is large and the other half is small. Let me know what you think, please.

The pics are loading all wacky!! Baby just started crying! I'll try to fix them in the morning! Ugh!!

Ugh!!! Dangit!! Sorry about the other one... :/

That one looks ok, I'd mist it day 20-23... just a bit to ward off the sticky goo...

 

[BigWeenMachine]

I hatched some bantams from Nancy last year. My first shipped eggs. Only hatched 4 out of the 12. All Roos. But good learning experience. She had them on her site for a couple weeks.
A very nice woman to work with. Hope you get lots of fuzzy butt's
Linda

Yea, she was pretty easy to work with.

 

[BigWeenMachine]

If you just want mixed ducks, you should be fine... as long as you don't sell eggs or ducklings as any type of pure breed then you're fine... those are all mallard derived so breeding is possible all around... if you breed Muscovy to any of those, the ducklings will be 'mules', as in sterile, so that is generally not done...

I would suggest reading up on crested though... if you have crested drakes, I wouldn't keep crested hens... or if you have crested hens, I wouldn't keep crested drakes... cresting is caused by a hole in the skull that tissue pokes out of... it *can* lead to neurological issues and breeding crested to crested is asking for those plus much DIS...

I did read about the crested on crested. If two crested parents breed they can do one of 4 things to the chicks. Both can pass on neither crested gene and get a non crested chick which is 25% of the time. One can pass the crested gene while the other doesn't and have a crested chick which is 50% of the time. And the last one is the one that is cruddy. If they both pass on the crested gene it almost certainly kills the chick. I just have an assortment of ducks coming unfortunately. I didn't know about this problem until after I had ordered them a few weeks ago. Guess I can always choose to keep just males or just females and take the others to the bird swap.

 

[Ravynscroft]

I did read about the crested on crested.  If two crested parents breed they can do one of 4 things to the chicks.  Both can pass on neither crested gene and get a non crested chick which is 25% of the time.  One can pass the crested gene while the other doesn't and have a crested chick which is 50% of the time.  And the last one is the one that is cruddy.  If they both pass on the crested gene it almost certainly kills the chick.  I just have an assortment of ducks coming unfortunately.  I didn't know about this problem until after I had ordered them a few weeks ago.  Guess I can always choose to keep just males or just females and take the others to the bird swap. 

Yep, you got it! I dunno if it said that sometimes even that crested from the 50% could still have issues... some are just fine, but some are not... :/

I punish myself enough with Calls, I can't even fathom trying those, lol...

 

[Blooie]

I HAVE A PIP!!!!!!! um, what do I do what do I do??? Added water, waiting for humidity to come up. Took out the other vent - only had one in because it wouldn't hold temp very time I took them both out. Pip is in the air cell facing up!! That's good, that's good. Oh myohmyohmy!

 

[chicapee]

I HAVE A PIP!!!!!!! um, what do I do what do I do??? Added water, waiting for humidity to come up. Took out the other vent - only had one in because it wouldn't hold temp very time I took them both out. Pip is in the air cell facing up!! That's good, that's good. Oh myohmyohmy!

Great news. Sit on your hands right now.

 

[caesargirl]

I HAVE A PIP!!!!!!! um, what do I do what do I do??? Added water, waiting for humidity to come up. Took out the other vent - only had one in because it wouldn't hold temp very time I took them both out. Pip is in the air cell facing up!! That's good, that's good. Oh myohmyohmy!

EXCITING!!!!!!