HELP! I assisted a duckling before internal pipping!

[NatJ]

That technically also means if they did mate already all the eggs for some time will be purebreed if I understand it correctly.

Unfortunately, not for long. The egg she lays today might be fathered by a mating two days ago or two weeks ago. The most likely father is whichever drake mated with her 3-5 days ago (the sperm that was freshest when the egg started being formed). But there are enough exceptions that I wouldn't trust "most likely" if it is important to know the exact parentage.

A mating today cannot fertilize today's egg (because the egg was already partly formed before the mating happened), but today's mating may fertilize tomorrow's egg and probably will fertilize the egg for the day after tomorrow.

No, I think I would like to know which is which for sure.

Sometimes you can tell by looking at the ducklings (if you have a white Pekin female, and the two possible males are a White Pekin and some other color, then any not-white ducklings would have the not-white father.)

But that requires a bit of genetics research, to know which purebreds or mixes can be recognised. I don't personally know enough about duck genetics to figure out most of the possible combinations, I just know that some combinations would look different and some would not.

 

[Hamudazahabi]

Unfortunately, not for long. The egg she lays today might be fathered by a mating two days ago or two weeks ago. The most likely father is whichever drake mated with her 3-5 days ago (the sperm that was freshest when the egg started being formed). But there are enough exceptions that I wouldn't trust "most likely" if it is important to know the exact parentage.

A mating today cannot fertilize today's egg (because the egg was already partly formed before the mating happened), but today's mating may fertilize tomorrow's egg and probably will fertilize the egg for the day after tomorrow.


Sometimes you can tell by looking at the ducklings (if you have a white Pekin female, and the two possible males are a White Pekin and some other color, then any not-white ducklings would have the not-white father.)

But that requires a bit of genetics research, to know which purebreds or mixes can be recognised. I don't personally know enough about duck genetics to figure out most of the possible combinations, I just know that some combinations would look different and some would not.

Thank you very much. I am waiting for these ducklings to grow up, so that I can start thinking more about how to get them specifically. I think that the best thing I can do to be sure is to just seperate them, and then start taking the eggs after like 4 days and incubate them, or incubate all eggs but label them.

 

[NatJ]

Thank you very much. I am waiting for these ducklings to grow up, so that I can start thinking more about how to get them specifically. I think that the best thing I can do to be sure is to just seperate them, and then start taking the eggs after like 4 days and incubate them, or incubate all eggs but label them.

That would probably work.

If you collect eggs after 4 days of separation, you will probably get some mixed babies and some purebred babies. The longer the are separated, the more eggs will produce purebreds and the less will produce mixes.

 

[Hamudazahabi]

That would probably work.

If you collect eggs after 4 days of separation, you will probably get some mixed babies and some purebred babies. The longer the are separated, the more eggs will produce purebreds and the less will produce mixes.

But do you know after which day will it most likely be all purebreeds?

 

[NatJ]

But do you know after which day will it most likely be all purebreeds?

"Most likely," I would say a week or so.

When I looked for other threads on this site, I found numbers ranging from 2 weeks up to a month, for people that want to be sure.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-long-do-you-need-to-separate-ducks-for-breeding.309034/

 

[Hamudazahabi]

"Most likely," I would say a week or so.

When I looked for other threads on this site, I found numbers ranging from 2 weeks up to a month, for people that want to be sure.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-long-do-you-need-to-separate-ducks-for-breeding.309034/

Hello,
I have a question @Miss Lydia , @NatJ .
I noticed that the feathers of my ducklings are now falling. The tail already has no yellow fur-like feathers, and it looks like sticks popping out to the back. I also noticed many of them lost that yellow feathers on their neck and got a partially naked spot there. What I thought is that they probably are now losing their feathers because new feathers will grow, but I am not entirely sure if it happens at this time or not, and if this is how it happens. They also stopped liking to swim and once I put them in warm water they leave, or room temperature water they also leave, even though before they used to clean themselves for some time in the warm water.

Is this normal?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes normal they can look pretty naked when losing down and pin feathers are beginning to grow in. With the water it maybe they are feeling uncomfortable with the new feather coming in and don't like water now. I'd still offer it to them just in case.
How about some pictures we haven't seen them in a while.

 

[Hamudazahabi]

Yes normal they can look pretty naked when losing down and pin feathers are beginning to grow in. With the water it maybe they are feeling uncomfortable with the new feather coming in and don't like water now. I'd still offer it to them just in case.
How about some pictures we haven't seen them in a while.

Ok thanks.
For the pictures I cannot right now because it's night and they're sleeping

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thats okay Just when ever you get a chance. Did you go get more ducklings?

 

[Hamudazahabi]

Thats okay Just when ever you get a chance. Did you go get more ducklings?

Not yet. I was busy making a house for the ducklings so that they move there when they grow up. I am almost done making it, soon I will buy more.