Hatch and die?

[duckins]

Awesome news!

 

[Frank Phinster]

Indeed

Now at least two ducklings have hatched. Mother duck keeps hissing at me, but when I offer her water, food and salad she takes it without complaint. Both parents are black and white, but one duckling is completely yellow and the other one I could see has a greyish shadow on the back.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Indeed

Now at least two ducklings have hatched. Mother duck keeps hissing at me, but when I offer her water, food and salad she takes it without complaint. Both parents are black and white, but one duckling is completely yellow and the other one I could see has a greyish shadow on the back.

I hope you can get pics eventually, sounds like things are working out!!!

 

[Frank Phinster]

I hope you can get pics eventually, sounds like things are working out!!!

I will try to take some pictures tomorrow when my sister has brought back the good camera from vacation.

Today the ducklings are more lively than yesterday and start to explore their environment, climb on mother duck's back and peck at everything. I have seen five ducklings so far and they appear to be healthy.
I had to close the back door of the shed because the runner duck has found out that there is good duckling food at the nest and although she is just interested in the pellets and respects the scovie duck I don't want to take a risk.

I'm so happy and relieved that the little ones are well

 

[Miss Lydia]

I will try to take some pictures tomorrow when my sister has brought back the good camera from vacation.

Today the ducklings are more lively than yesterday and start to explore their environment, climb on mother duck's back and peck at everything. I have seen five ducklings so far and they appear to be healthy.
I had to close the back door of the shed because the runner duck has found out that there is good duckling food at the nest and although she is just interested in the pellets and respects the scovie duck I don't want to take a risk.

I'm so happy and relieved that the little ones are well

That's such good news!!! Congrats

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

The ducklings sound adorable!!

I will write my experience with hatching and dead ducklings. Personally my feeling is that the more we humans aggravate duck-moms and mess with the eggs, probably the more likely we are to get hatching problems. To illustrate, last year, one duck here sat on I think it was 19 or 22 eggs. We were so excited and candled everyday and eventually one hatched live. The other nest we had about that same time, we left that one totally alone and had 4 hatch. For future reference, Def keep the drakes away, I have seen a drake go after a juvenile and if you've got ducklings you don't want that.

 

[Frank Phinster]

I only visit her once in a while and most of the time she is alone with her offspring. When the first ducklings hatched and died, I had not been there at all for hours. Actually I had not expected anything to happen since they were late for six days.
When I give her food and water she instantly accepts it without any fuss, she has gotten used to me bringing her food to the nest. I do not interfer otherwise with her because I know that disturbance can somehow disrupt the bond between mother and ducklings.
I never had real problems with the drakes, but I know that they can be dangerous, but I had one runner drake that was very friendly to ducklings and didn't even chase them away. But I have no expericence with muscovy drakes as fathers and since there are still the pekins and runners around that have no connection to the ducklings at all I am extra careful.

Thanks for all your replies so far

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Hey Frank, sorry if I missed this and you've already said this, but is the nest quite tall? I ask be ause one of my Pekins made a super tall nest, and of course I was constantly checking to make sure that the duckling hadn't fallen out, because if it had, I was told, it wouldn't be able to climb back in, nor would the mom put it back in. Just a thought. I think you've already hit the nail on the head tho, I think it's important to keep an eye out for the little ducklings.

 

[Frank Phinster]

The nest is quite flat and the duckklings can climb out and back in. They even climb on top of their mother.
I hope they have found food and water but since I put it right next to the nest in flat bowls they could not have missed it if they were looking for it and watching their mother. I never saw them feeding though so I get a little nervous. That always happens when I have offspring, wondering whether they will find the food or not but so far they never failed.

 

[Miss Lydia]

The nest is quite flat and the duckklings can climb out and back in. They even climb on top of their mother.
I hope they have found food and water but since I put it right next to the nest in flat bowls they could not have missed it if they were looking for it and watching their mother. I never saw them feeding though so I get a little nervous. That always happens when I have offspring, wondering whether they will find the food or not but so far they never failed.

They'll find it especially if you have it close by. mama will see to it. I love it when they poke their heads through their mamas feathers to look at us, so cute.