Hatching Ducklings

[Taralynnludwig]

My broody runner is hatching a clutch of eggs. I know with an incubator they need to go in lockdown and not be touched until they hatch. Is there any way to take an egg from my girl after it has pipped so I can show my son a baby hatching or would any movement at that point kill them? Has anyone done something like that successfully?

 

[Ravynscroft]

It's not whether it would be successful, but rather a matter of should mama and babies be messed with in that way... I completely understand wanting tto i show your son a duckling hatching, but there is risk of mama not taking it back, possibly injuring/killing it, abandoning it, or causing her to abandon the whole brood... not saying these things will happen, but they are possibilities... are you bonded with your runner? Does she trust you? If she does and will let you handle her babies, then you might be successful... the other thing is, if she won't take it back then you're stuck with brooding and caring for a single duckling until it can join the others outside... plus, you would have to integrate it back in with the flock... not to mention that lone ducklings are extremely needy and require much more care and time than a group... along with making sure it knows it's a duck as it grows up...

Best thing to do, if you want to show your son a hatching duck, then I would plan a set of duck eggs in an incubator just so he can see it... brood, sell or give away the ducklings afterwards... this way there is no way to cause any possible trauma to the broody mama or her babies...

 

[Hybridchucks]

Well.........it is best to be left alone.....but you could do it quickly, take an egg that is zipping and show your son BUT make SURE that you put the egg EXACTLY how it was placed before, because the duckling has turned itself to pip, if placed wrong (such as pip on the bottom, touching the ground) the baby will NOT be able to hatch! Sorry for being so abrupt but it is very nerving wracking..... sure, do it but be very very carful xxx

 

[Hybridchucks]

I always take time to write, someone always gets there before me! lol
Ravenscroft is quite right....

 

[Taralynnludwig]

I likely won't bother touching them, he won't care so long as he gets to play with the actual ducklings. He loves to watch them swim. My runner is one of the friendliest of my ducks. I do plan to find homes for all the babies so her not accepting them isn't an issue really. I just don't want to stress out someone trying to hatch. Thanks for the input! we don't have an incubator. I thought of getting one so he could see all this but that's an unnecessary expense that I cannot justify at this time

 

[chickens really]

If you take all the Ducklings away from her she will get frantic and depressed as she searches for them...You will have let here raise them if she wants too?....Sell them once they are weaned at around 4 to 5 weeks old.....Or keep one for her till that age...

 

[Taralynnludwig]

I was potentially going to keep 1, simply because so don't think my kid would allow me not to. Do ducks wean?

 

[chickens really]

Yes...All animals wean their young....She will stop calling to them and they won't follow her around....

 

[Taralynnludwig]

Ducks don't nurse though. I've always referred to weaning as weaning them from nursing. I've only ever heard of mammals weaning their young. And no not all animals do, many species leave their eggs to do their own thing, turtles, fish, ect.

 

[chickens really]

Well yes...lol....Birds do wean in a sense...The hormones that have them rearing young subsides and the Baby birds mature quickly and do not need Momma anymore.....