Hatching in a few days!!!

[indianaducks]

My adult magpie drake looks like his genetics finally came through in coloring of a hatched duckling!
It’s a cute little black stripe from head to tail.

 

[BabyGotQuack]

My adult magpie drake looks like his genetics finally came through in coloring of a hatched duckling!
It’s a cute little black stripe from head to tail.

Beautiful coloring!

Is it just the one duck? I missed how many you set.

 

[indianaducks]

Beautiful coloring!

Is it just the one duck? I missed how many you set.

Originally I set 8 duck eggs and 12 chicken eggs. But most of the duck eggs were duds or quitters so I wound up with 2 duck eggs and 11 chicken eggs at lockdown.

I’m just waiting for 1 duck egg left to hatch. The 11th chicken egg appears to be a dud as I expected. So far have 10 chicks and 1 duckling already hatched

 

[indianaducks]

Still waiting for the second duck egg to hatch but so in love with this cutie!

 

[indianaducks]

STILL waiting for duck egg #2 to hatch. World’s slowest unzipping ever. I keep candling it through the clear incubator and it’s alive and periodically makes another crack in the shell. But dang… hurry up already little one!

 

[Miss Lydia]

That is one precious duckling Congrats!

 

[indianaducks]

Well... did my first assisted hatch, that was terrifying. But little guy finally hatched with a lot of help. Fingers crossed he makes it. Just got him out about 45 min ago.

He started unzipping sometime Friday I think... and then there was just very little progress all weekend so I got brave and tried to help on Sunday as that was the final egg and it had been about 48 hours or so since unzipping had started. Made some progress but then hit a vein and thought I killed him :'( but he survived and by this morning seemed more ready to hatch with some help. Man oh man, I hope I don't have to do that again LOL. And I'm really hoping he makes it.

Photos later when he's dry and fluffy and hopefully still doing well.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I hope so too. It's is so nerve-wracking when we have to help.

 

[indianaducks]

I hope so too. It's is so nerve-wracking when we have to help.

I had no intention of helping until the unzipping went well beyond any normal amount of time I'd ever experienced and I was not about to lose him in the egg if I could help it.

 

[indianaducks]

Well he’s a bit more alert now. Hopefully a few more hours drying off in the incubator then some gentle duckling friends will perk him up. I’m weirdly attached now because I had to help him