I set eggs 2/27/10 ** DUE 3/20th-3/21st** WE"RE HATCHING!!!!

[Sweetfolly]

I can't wait to see what they look like!

The zipping's going slow - but I'm sure the first two will be out sometime today. I can still hear the other two peeping like mad! I got bored of staring at the 'bator though!

I know that my Hookbill duck, Eve, is the mommy of these guys:

And I'm sort of hoping this guy, my Indian Runner drake, is the dad of most of them - I saw him breeding with the Hookbill a LOT around the time I was collecting these eggs:

But the dad(s) could also be my Hookbill drake or one of my Dark Campbell drakes - I should be able to tell once I see the ducklings!

 

[Sparkelrose]

new2chooks such cute babies! I'm jealous I love the white babies.

Annarie I'm sending hatching ducky dust your way! Hope they come out soon!

 

[Sweetfolly]

The first baby's out!

Sorry for the blurry pictures!

It's drying out and learning to use it's legs. I have a good idea of what color genetics they have going for them, but I honestly can't tell what color/breed the baby is yet! It needs to fluff out! It's definately NOT a purebred Hookbill (my darn Hookbill drake is a wuss, and I've never seen him breed). I can definately see the Hookbill in it though, in the coloring of the bill.

Of the remaining 3 eggs, 1 started to zip and has been taking a hiatus (I expect it to finish up sometime tonight), 1 has pipped, and 1 hasn't done anything yet - but, the official hatch day wasn't supposed to be until 5 p.m. tomorrow, so I'm not fretting over it yet.

Interesting fact - the duckling that hatched was the freshest egg in the incubator, it was set the same day it was laid. The two that have started to pip/zip were the next two freshest eggs in the 'bator, and the one that hasn't done anything yet is the oldest egg in the 'bator - it was stored for 4 days before it was set.

 

[fordmommy]

Well- How is everyone fairing? What's the word on the street?

All is still good here. Quiet on the homefront. Still have Peanut. And all my baby chickies are doing good. Getting big!

 

[Sweetfolly]

I have 3 ducklings now!

The second one hatched at around 11 p.m. last night, and then they all woke me up peeping at 2 a.m. this morning when the third one hatched. I ended up having to take them out of the 'bator at around 4 a.m., because they decided that all the egg shells looked yummy and were trying to eat them! Plus, the little brutes managed to knock the last, unhatched egg out of its egg carton and kick it around on the floor!

I didn't want them trying to rip and chew at that egg when it started to hatch.

So, now the little buggers are set up in an empty aquarium right next to the 'bator so that they can still encourage the slow-poke. When I grabbed them out of the 'bator, I candled the slow-poke egg (I was a bit worried that it hadn't even pipped yet), and I could still see it moving around in there. That egg did have a bigger air cell than the other three when they went into lockdown, so I guess the duckling's happy hanging out in there for awhile yet.

Anywho, here they are, all dry and fluffy:

 

[fordmommy]

So cute, Annarie! They look big!

 

[Sweetfolly]

Quote:
I know! I can't imagine how they managed to fit in those little eggs. It was so great to watch them hatch and finally stretch their little necks and legs out!

The Welsh Harlequin eggs that I have in the other 'bator right now are HUGE - much bigger than the little blue Hookbill eggs these ducklings came from. I have to imagine that those guys are going to be MONSTERS when they hatch!

 

[Happy Chooks]

They do look really big!!! And they are so darn adorable too! Congrats!!!!

 

[Sweetfolly]

The 4th egg has finally pipped!

And they did all hatch in the order of the freshest to oldest egg set. The first egg to hatch was laid on 3/2 and set on the very same day. The second to hatch was laid on 3/1, the third to hatch was laid on 2/28, and this last egg was laid on 2/27.

Oh - and my box of Cochin eggs that was supposed to arrive yesterday still isn't here.

If they don't arrive by tomorrow morning, I'll have to e-mail the seller and see what's up. It could be that she waited and sent them yesterday instead of Saturday - or maybe her Cochins went broody.

 

[fordmommy]

Quote:
The lasst couple times I got eggs it took 3+ days for them to arrive. I still would Email her and ask what day she sent them. No tracking # I guess.