January 1, 2011 Quail Hatch Along

[Buttercup Chillin]

OK, Snow White, my head Muscovy duck, has been bathing to increase humidity for her eggs. The duck house smells like a hatch, so duck hatch is emminent. It will be an extended hatch with 4 ducks sitting. I use duck TV to monitor the ducklings. But when I run that, I have no computer access for some reason.

So everyone have a nice holiday. Don't forget to lockdown. I will be back when my Coturnix start popping. Or maybe from time to time.

 

[Rozzie]

DUCK TV!

I have GOT to talk to DirecTV. That is not on my channel list!

Hope you have a very merry Christmas & a great hatch!

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

I am still watching duck TV to no avail. So me thinks my wonderful Snow White is a mule. But that hatch goes on because there are 3 nests set one week after another with all 5 ducks taking turns sitting.

So day 14 is up at 11PM for me and I will Lock Down. My brooders are ready, my feed and vitamins are ready. The GD is on her way, Friday morning, in case Grammy messed up and they hatch too early. She does not want to miss the hatch again.

 

[Rozzie]

It's check-in time. Who all has incubators locked down?

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
PRESENT

 

[Hooligan Farm]

Quote:
Its lock down time here. This is my second hatching wish me luck

 

[jenjscott]

I think I set a little early, but I think my temps were low, so I might go to NY. I am in lockdown.

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

Quote:
Me too. They have been going 17 days lately, so I am running it a little cool. Not hard seeing there are only 50 eggs in there. But new location for the bator and its been running a little differently. Dryer air too, except today, it poured buckets of rain outside. So they will hatch either Fri/Sat, perfect for the GD to see the babies pop outta their shells.
She is going to be sooooo excited.

 

[Buttercup Chillin]

I'm bored,

waiting on my Jello to thicken so I can make up two salads for our delayed xmas tomorrow, then I'll bake some pies. Oh, Pecan Pie that actually has pecans in it. A lot of them.

Just sitting here, thinking these babies must be about turned around now in their getting too tight egg shells. Getting ready to start pecking that membrane then the shell. Zip zip. So about noon tomorrow, when the GD gets here, we'll probably start calling Co-tur-neeee to them. We'll make pop corn and call those little ones out to see the world.

Then a later when they stop hanging from the eggs and egg shells and stumbling around then they'll get their feet going good and start pecking for feed. 4-8 hours will have passed since hatch and by then they are pretty dry and they can see a little more of the world. We'll put them in the brooder, dunk a couple of beaks in the vit-amin water and set them on some lightly ground feed and watch them nibble, then nod off and just collapse from all the excitment of their new life. Life is so tiring at this stage. Little balls of fluff, with little fluffy butts. But when they wake up. They'll be off and running, exploring their bigger surroundings, about that time more will come and join them. Oh, get ready.

I keep saying I am going to make a recording of the males calls for these hatches. Just haven't done it yet, cause I never think of it when they are all sounding off. I just stand there and listen to them.

Hey, Rozzie, you could probably make us a good recording of all the males you have standing tall and telling it all. Especially that pretty little Tux you have - Boots isn't it. Ya, that's Boots alright - your Boot Scooting Boy!!!

 

[Rozzie]

Quote:
Ha! I think you are picturing leather cowboy boots. THIS Boots is going to put on some thigh high black leather boots. She's all lady...

ROFL I could well make some recordings of all those boys. I'd have to do it in the morning, though. That's when they get talkative. They are actually quiet right now. Not a single boy crowing right now.

The last batch is 6 weeks old today. One crowing so far. Funny thing is that it was the scrawny EW runt of the bunch who was days behind in development.