Hatching Eggs

[Canadian Wind]

*sigh* So the four 'hens' I got turned out to be two hens and two drakes. So that means eight drakes and five hens. NOT GOOD! These are the mallard-derived ducks, not the Muscovy.

Solution? Tomorrow I pick up two dozen Welsh Harlequin eggs to hatch out! Yes, you read that right. Two DOZEN. 24. If figure that with this amount, I'm guaranteed a few hens, right? Right?!? And since they can be sexed as hatchlings, I'll know exactly what I have right away! I also figure that even if they don't all hatch, even if it's only 50%, I'll still get the hens I want/need.

I know it's getting late in the season for it, but we usually have decent weather here, during the day, until late October and sometimes beyond. They should be feathered out by then.

Just had to share.

 

[BabyGotQuack]

Drake- dark bill

Female- dark tipped bill

This method only works the first 3 days or so of life

 

[casportpony]

Good luck with your hatch!

 

[Canadian Wind]

Good luck with your hatch!

Oh, I'm sure I'll keep everyone well informed and annoyed with my attempts! LOL!

 

[BabyGotQuack]

Sorry all grown now and I'm the queen of bad pictures. The one on the left has a lighter bill with a spot at the end but he's a drake.

Yea based off the method it would be female but it’s not 100% accurate obviously

 

[Canadian Wind]

Such sweet little quackers!

 

[BabyGotQuack]

*sigh* So the four 'hens' I got turned out to be two hens and two drakes. So that means eight drakes and five hens. NOT GOOD! These are the mallard-derived ducks, not the Muscovy.

Solution? Tomorrow I pick up two dozen Welsh Harlequin eggs to hatch out! Yes, you read that right. Two DOZEN. 24. If figure that with this amount, I'm guaranteed a few hens, right? Right?!? And since they can be sexed as hatchlings, I'll know exactly what I have right away! I also figure that even if they don't all hatch, even if it's only 50%, I'll still get the hens I want/need.

I know it's getting late in the season for it, but we usually have decent weather here, during the day, until late October and sometimes beyond. They should be feathered out by then.

Just had to share.

Excited to follow this! We hatched welshies this spring but didn’t have a great hatch rate, they were shipped eggs. Sounds like yours are local?

As far as the bill method it seemed pretty accurate for us, there was only one I wasn’t sure about.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Excited to follow this! We hatched welshies this spring but didn’t have a great hatch rate, they were shipped eggs. Sounds like yours are local?

As far as the bill method it seemed pretty accurate for us, there was only one I wasn’t sure about.

As local as living in the middle of nowhere can be, yes! Lol! That's why I'm getting 24, in case the hatch rate is low. Or I mess something up. With my luck this year, it wouldn't surprise me >.>

Getting my incubator ready. Hopefully in a month's time, I'll be going crazy with the sound of chirping.

 

[BabyGotQuack]

As local as living in the middle of nowhere can be, yes! Lol! That's why I'm getting 24, in case the hatch rate is low. Or I mess something up. With my luck this year, it wouldn't surprise me >.>

Getting my incubator ready. Hopefully in a month's time, I'll be going crazy with the sound of chirping.

Can’t wait! Post lots of updates

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I'll know exactly what I have right away!

But you already know exactly what you have right now.

What will you do with all the extra drakes that hatch?

Whu not just buy sexed duckling already.. maybe Metzer is able to export to Canada.