Hatch Done, What a DISASTER... 2 ducklings, all others lost or culled.

[ChanceRider]

Jenna,
I'm SO sorry that your ducklings didn't develop normally. In my humble opinion, it took guts to do what you did... open the eggs to see what had gone wrong.

Best of luck with the remaining ducklings... hopefully they'll thrive to give you much joy.

I recently had my first experience with a crested duckling and don't think I'll ever knowingly purchase one again. Poor Wobbles has severe balance issues, can't stand or walk unless he's propped against something to guide him. His neck also seems deformed. He was received in a shipment of assorted "hatchery choice" ducklings. When called, the hatchery explained that crested ducks can be prone to problems like this. Someone replied to a post I made about him saying that he probably has neurological issues. Right now he's being raised in a very large dog kennel in my dining room, and hand fed twice daily. He can eat a bit on his own but I sit with him to make sure he gets his fill. We're hoping that as his wings develope (he was hatched 1/13) he'll be able to balance a bit better. If so, he'll be moved to an outside pen with, or near, my other ducks.

Please keep us posted and let us know how your babies do! Oh, and pics? I love pics of baby duckies!

 

[AngieChick]

I am so sorry that this happened to you, what a nightmare. Hopefully as you watch your new cute duck babies grow you will find these bad memories fading.

 

[daisychick]

Sorry for your loss.

I am glad you were so brave and opened up the ones you did to see what went wrong. It will also help others who have crested ducks to use a lot of caution. I don't know anything about duck genetics but I think you are onto something about the male you have maybe having crested genes. It sucks that you had to go through this.

 

[Katy]

I'm sorry that this happened. I'd say it's definately something going on with the genetics for there to be so many with deformaties. I'd definately use their future eggs for cooking, not hatching.

 

[skeeter9]

So sorry, Jenna. What an awful experience! You did a good thing, opening the other eggs and trying to learn from them. I hope your new babies thrive and that you are able to find some nice breeders to continue your duck project.

 

[PineBurrowPeeps]

Thanks guys. I'm glad you're all so supportive. I kinda half expected someone to rip into me for opening the eggs but I knew if I didn't I would wonder all the time what had happened to them and I also felt awful at the idea of them suffering a prolonged death in shell, knowing that the others had things going on.

This is a flock of 7 ducks, 3 Khaki Cambell hens non crested, 1 Khaki Cambell drake non crested, 2 runners one crested, and 1 pekin crested.

This spring I had planned to move the 4 Khakis into their own breeding pen to have pure eggs. I think as a last ditch attempt I might try it and see what happens. I am certain that of the 7 eggs I had that were viable, only one cross chick actually hatched, the other that made it is a pure Khaki and the 5 that didn't were all obvious mutts. So I have to wonder if I remove the runners and the pekin from the flock, if the resulting babies would be okay. Only trying it out will tell me and since I have a great fertility rate I would only have to try a couple eggs.

And to think that before this morning when a crested duckling popped out, I honestly had not thought about getting crested ducks. I feel like an idiot and I really should have expected it more.

Oh well, you live, you learn.

I'm still waiting on my stupid camera!

 

[skeeter9]

Well, someone may feel the need to make a negative comment about your decision, but you did it for good reasons using sound judgement, so you don't need to justify it to anyone else!

Thanks for sharing all of this info. I'm certainly finding out thingsI never knew about ducks. I really is nice to have the BYC community to share the good and bad with, isn't it?

 

[newchickenfamily]

I'm so sorry! You were a braver soul than I to open those eggs!!

I hope you have much success with future hatches.

 

[Highlander]

Oh that sounds like it's been a dreadful experience for you. I'm very sorry you had to go through that.

 

[selinagil]

I'm so sorry about your ducks PBP. I am glad you have two healthy ones to help cheer up the kids.