Honey, there's something strange about this chick!

[chickencoop31320]

A few weeks ago I bought some hatching eggs from a couple BYC members and had a wonderful hatch of 22 chicks this past week. I had a few non hatchers and left the bator going just in case they were "late bloomers". I came home yesterday to find that miracle of miracles one had pipped! I was so excited to see this, but also a bit worried, after all it should have hatched last Friday with the others. I looked at the hole more closely and realized the membrane was pretty dry. I went with my heart and decided to “help” the poor lil peep out. I began peeling the shell ever so slowly and gently. After a couple minutes, I had a hole the size of a nickel. I peeked into the hole…. I called to my husband, “Honey, there’s something strange about this chick!” He quickly came over and looked in the hole too… “What is THAT?” I said. He replied “that looks like a BILL! It’s a DUCK!” Then I remembered when one of the ladies sold me the eggs, she said she was going to include a duck egg! When I had received the eggs there were a couple of broken ones and one of them was VERY large and white, I naturally assumed the large broken one was a duck egg. I wasn’t too upset since I really don’t have a place for ducks. I guess it wasn’t a duck egg after all.

My lesson learned: Now I know ducks lay light blue eggs that look just like Ameraucanas’! LOL

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

That is awesome. Congrats. Hope your duck makes it. You know you will fall for ducks. If youa re going to keep it, you will may want to find it a duck friend. I love my ducks!

 

[chickencoop31320]

Quote:
Thanks! It's a cute lil booger for sure.
I wasn't sure it was going to make it thru the night last night, but so far so good.
My kids love it already and it's growing on me (kinda like mold?).

Why aren't there any duck smileys???

 

[AHappychick]

looks like a runner duckling to me

they are awesome you will love it

very lucky duckling that you left it in the bator

 

[Shared Acres]

Congrats! Too funny and cute.

 

[bethandjoeync]

if you raise a duck with chicks will it think of itself as a chicken?? lol cut little "chick" you have there

 

[SLM]

What a lovely little surprise.

I don't know about hatching anything, so please tell me - Do duck eggs incubate for the same about of time as chicken eggs?

 

[chickencoop31320]

Quote:
No. Chickens generally take 21 days and ducks take 28. He/she was late for being a chicken and early for being a duck... Either way it's lucky I left the incubator running for a few extra days.
I would have been heart broken if I had cracked the egg to look inside and found a lil ALIVE anything... A life, is a life... Every life is welcome at our house...

 

[Liza]

I got my chick at about three weeks. Now after seeing that cute little ducky I wish I would have gotten my girls at a younger age. I was just plain scared!~

 

[chickencoop31320]

He/she is a cutie, but after looking around the house and yard for a place to put the duck... I realized I didn't have any place for him/her and I gave it to a friend. She loves ducks and has loads of room for them.

Still a happily ever after for the lil quacker!