Incubating Duck Eggs

[PirateGirl]

I don’t know how to vent sex ducklings but I plan on having another BYCer help me learn this spring. I tried once and I felt like I was going to hurt the duckling so I stopped.

I put my babies out when they are big enough to stay out of the adults way. I’ve never had them accept the ducklings. They are like high schoolers. But they do adjust eventually. I did have to put my drake in jail last year because he wanted to mate with the babies that weren’t mature enough. The babies and all females got along as long as the drake wasn’t around.

This was my duckling integration exactly. At 6-8 weeks they went outside. The females accepted them pretty quick as long as the drake wasn't around. The drake tried to kill one and then when older he was too rough when trying to mate the ducklings. So the ducklings lived with the adult females relatively peacefully (some squabbles over food) and the drake stayed in jail about a month. Now they all get along fine.

 

[FluffTheDuck]

And where exactly is the"jail"? A duck coop?

 

[CayugaJana]

And where exactly is the"jail"? A duck coop?

Yes. He got pinned in a coop or sometimes in one of those black wire dog pens that can fold up when you aren’t using them. I also clipped his wings so he was slower than the females so they could fly away from him.

 

[CayugaJana]

This was my duckling integration exactly. At 6-8 weeks they went outside. The females accepted them pretty quick as long as the drake wasn't around. The drake tried to kill one and then when older he was too rough when trying to mate the ducklings. So the ducklings lived with the adult females relatively peacefully (some squabbles over food) and the drake stayed in jail about a month. Now they all get along fine.

I had 5 females last year and they would squawk and run to me because they knew I would protect them. A couple times they had enough and circled on each side of the drake and attacked at the same time. He would quit his antics for awhile after that. I was so proud of them!

 

[PirateGirl]

And where exactly is the"jail"? A duck coop?

Whatever you set up... an entirely separate enclosure so that they cannot get to each other, separate food, water, and shelter, all predator proof. Some people build a separate space, some are able to divide/partition the space they already have, just depends what your existing setup is. You will find what works for you.

 

[FluffTheDuck]

I want y’all to know two (2) days ago I put two eggs in the incubator. Happy little “duggie wuggies”! The humidity is going up and down (12%-70% sometimes) but I’m sure they will be fine! It takes 28 days TOTAL (including lockdown) right?

 

[Pyxis]

View attachment 1707034 I want y’all to know two (2) days ago I put two eggs in the incubator. Happy little “duggie wuggies”! The humidity is going up and down (12%-70% sometimes) but I’m sure they will be fine! It takes 28 days TOTAL (including lockdown) right?

Yes, 28 days total

That's quite a bit of humidity fluctuation - is it the built in hygrometer that's saying that, or the other one that I see you have in there?

 

[FluffTheDuck]

The tiny black and gray one in there is totally incorrect. The incubator says it is (example) 55% and the other one says it’s 89% or 1%, totally off. I figured out it was incorrect with an app on my phone that agreed with the incubator and a $300 temperature and humidity reader (you point it at the incubator inside and it tells) and it as well agrees with the incubator. I have no idea why I put the incorrect temperature reader in there, I’m probably just lazy to take it out though, and I don’t want to open the incubator a lot of times, only to add more water.

 

[FluffTheDuck]

New update on the thread “Bumblefoot is back again!” Please check it out those who can help