Hows everyones breeding season so far!?

[mckenzie]

Two of my wood ducks have started setting and one is starting on her second clutch. I had babies hatch yesterday.

 

[destinduck]

Four mystery chicks in the bator just now. (I think they are cape teal) Redheads just layed two eggs and same for 2 Am widgeon hens.16 eggs from only reg manderin hen finally she is setting. Thats alot for one bird,whew! One white woodie hen setting now but havent seen how many eggs in the box yet. Most all of my ducks are heavy in the bottum now. Saw my magellans actually breed for the first time. Yeah! She also made a depression and went and sat down in the barrel for the first time although no egg yet. Plus they talk alot more at me when I go in to feed.Especially the male. I feel much better about gettin some babies now after the way they are acting . I was about to give up hope on em . Will keep yall updated. Good luck Everyone!

 

[kangababy]

Lets see:

Wood Ducks and Mandarin are setting
Sharpwing teal
Fulvous tree Ducks (still have some from last year to sell)
Hooded Merganser
Ruddy Duck

In the Incubator:
Ruddy Ducks
Hooded Mergansers

Under the broody silkie hens:
Ruddy Ducks
Barrow's Goldeneye
Eyton Tree Ducks
and alot of little eggs that I have no clue what they are.. They have been nest dumping like crazy so I have been pulling them once I have more than one species in a box and 5-6 eggs.

I am giving it a go this year at letting the silkies sit on them for 8-10 days and once they are developing putting them in the GQF sportsman! we will see how that goes. Alot fo people do it but I am nervous. Any tips let me know.

hatched this weekend:
Lots of chickens
5 Chinese brown geese
call ducks, Indian Runners
3 Sebastopol babies!

 

[destinduck]

Karen You definitely shouldnt have so much egg dumping like that .If they are still nest dumping like last year your pen is way way too bare. You have to have alot more nest sites or boxes and/or spread them out more and alot more cover definitely. Go all the way around your pond with way more cover. Lots more grasses and bushes, boxes and more more cover. Its gotta have lots more cover. Oh yeah Did I mention to add more cover! Get to planting girlfriend. LOL!!!! Dont be nervous over incubating,especially after birds have set on them the hardest first 10-14 days If you are letting the silkies help incubate let them set on eggs at least 10 days before sticking em in the bator. Longers even better unless you are getting too many eggs and not enough setters to go around. And remember woodies and mandies will sit on anything forever, So stick your high dollar duck eggs under them if need be over their own eggs. Happy Easter and happy hatching!

 

[kangababy]

LOL.. Yeah it is my this years 1st year layers (Hooded Mergansers for sure) and a teal mainly. I just don;t know my eggs well enough. And some of it we had a nice week or two fo 80+ degree weather and then boom it si 40 in the mornign and highs in the 60s. I had an Eyton sitting and she just stopped and well out of 70+ boxes it was only in three of 5 of them.. 1 above, 3 groudn and the other 2 raised boxes had a barrow's egg in it each with other but I just got those birds.

Most of my birds are starting to set the silkies have ones mainly that I know had been in the pen for a week and not one had claimed.. except a Ruddy and 2 Barrow's the rest are ones I don;t think will catch.. got the 10 days.. I will leave them there. I hate waiting

 

[destinduck]

Yea I had to put 2 cuban eggs under a sitting mallard cause she quit laying and then tryed to set but quit that too. I think it was that wierd weather as well. Anyway they are in the bator now just checked them and they are fertile at least. This is one year Im kinda glad my birds lay about a month behind everyone elses seems like. I know I probably sound like a broken record on the more cover and spreading everything out deal but I swear it will help in everyway from more laying to less dumping. The only downside is you cant see all your birds easily

 

[waterdog]

We are getting an early start in Michigan was snowing today and we already have Mute Swans, Woodies, Mandarins, and Hoodies sitting and Goldeneyes, Cinnamon teal, and Ruddies with eggs we have already had temps in the 80's and got the birds going but now its back to normal temps.

 

[chickenlisa]

Destinduck,
I hear you on the need for cover! As soon as I dragged a broken branch from our evergreen tree into the pen and over under and around the 1 Mandy nestbox, she started going in and out. She's on at least day 15 today, setting on at least 16 eggs (if I counted right a week ago.) I certainly hope at least 10 of them hatch! I'll pull them and finish them in my incubator late next week...
Kanga/Karen,
Are those 3 Sebbie babies from the eggs you bought from me? I'd love to see pics if so! If not, how are those eggs doing?
Lisa
(I also have 2 Blue Swedish ducks setting on 16 of their eggs in the same nest! and 1 Ameracauna hen setting on 14 Australian Spotted duck eggs. Hopefully in a few weeks there'll be lots of little quackers around here!)

 

[kangababy]

Kanga/Karen,
Are those 3 Sebbie babies from the eggs you bought from me? I'd love to see pics if so! If not, how are those eggs doing?
Lisa
(I also have 2 Blue Swedish ducks setting on 16 of their eggs in the same nest! and 1 Ameracauna hen setting on 14 Australian Spotted duck eggs. Hopefully in a few weeks there'll be lots of little quackers around here!)

Lisa not 100% sure if it wqas one of yours. I hate 8 eggs in teh bator and 3 hatched.. but here is one of the little guys. None of them were solid yellow and I believe the eggs had a date wrote on them and had Seb wrote.. so if those were yours eggs.. but anyways here is one picture with my little man.. He was HAPPY!!

 

[kangababy]

We are getting an early start in Michigan was snowing today and we already have Mute Swans, Woodies, Mandarins, and Hoodies sitting and Goldeneyes, Cinnamon teal, and Ruddies with eggs we have already had temps in the 80's and got the birds going but now its back to normal temps.

Steve,
If ou get any Common Goldeneye drakes extra this year I need a few drakes. I have 6 hens and one poor drake.

I had a hoodie hatch this week out of the incubator and I have no idea where the edd even came from. The only ones even close to ready to hatch came from a apricot wood ducks next I thought but maybe I had my calculations wrong on the hoodie eggs.