JUNE - JULY HATCH-ALONG!!!!!!!

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Our dribbling keet hatch continues... in at work, but obsessively checking the incubator humidity at home via a remote system... Saw a humidity spike, texted DD to check: nothing. Still spiking but returning to baseline so bugged DD to check more thoroughly... baby keet was there! Grab keet, swab navel with chlorhexadine, place in brooder box.

Thought you all might appreciate these humidity readings over the last 24 hr. Spike at 8:45 PM last night: hatching keet. Small drop is opening lid to grab keet, big drop after was me re-candling... I’m really afraid I’m going to have a rotten, exploding egg... 9:20 AM this morning: quick turn of youngest eggs. Spike at 3:30 PM today - new keet! DD is just in this for the new keet cuddles...

 

[Enigmius]

Geez, those guys are HUGE!!! Are those the next up in size from your little guy? I’ll stop going on about size disparity in one week old guinea keets now!!! My hard-headed motto, honestly, is to keep trying stuff until something works... I do feel like this a lot though! Jolenesdad’s suggestion is a good one as well, to try an individual duckling who will get desperate enough to accept companionship from this mini invader!!!

Yeah. That’s one week difference!!!
Insane.

 

[Compost King]

Early Pipper! very early pipper, hatch day is Saturday, Thursday night would be an Early Pipper this guy is pipping Wednesday night for a Saturday Hatch. So Glad I went into lockdown last night instead of tonight. Thats a Silver Grey Dorking x (Silver Grey Dorking x Red Ranger)

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

View attachment 1848431
Early Pipper! very early pipper, hatch day is Saturday, Thursday night would be an Early Pipper this guy is pipping Wednesday night for a Saturday Hatch. So Glad I went into lockdown last night instead of tonight. Thats a Silver Grey Dorking x (Silver Grey Dorking x Red Ranger)

Wow! Eager to meet you! Best of luck with your hatch!!!

 

[CluckNDoodle]

View attachment 1848431
Early Pipper! very early pipper, hatch day is Saturday, Thursday night would be an Early Pipper this guy is pipping Wednesday night for a Saturday Hatch. So Glad I went into lockdown last night instead of tonight. Thats a Silver Grey Dorking x (Silver Grey Dorking x Red Ranger)

Wow! Very early! Do you candle your eggs before you set them? I'm curious if you have a case like my already developing egg from the summer heat. Lol

 

[jolenesdad]

Good luck @Compost King

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

The smaller ducks are not wanting to accept the newest baby duckling; two of them started pecking at the poor thing. Its so sad, because it is all alone in its incubator now(with a small cup of water and a small cup of food.. I had today off from work and so I brought the duckling out of its incubator a couple of times and rubbed its breast with my thumb. It seems to like that btw. But I can't guarantee I will have tomorrow or the next day off, so I don't know what to do.

I found an idea on here that worked! Put a hand mirror with the new baby, it thinks its another ducky friend. And...it really works, I had to do it and I'll have to do it again unfortunately with another hatch from Ebay with only 1 duck hatching...

 

[Compost King]

Wow! Very early! Do you candle your eggs before you set them? I'm curious if you have a case like my already developing egg from the summer heat. Lol

Good point.

I had even more eggs pip last night from the same flock while the eggs from other flocks did not pip the nesting box of the early pippers is inside of a shed that is much warmer than all the other nesting boxes in summer. Maybe the pippers are all the eggs collected late so they got a head start on development.

 

[Enigmius]

I found an idea on here that worked! Put a hand mirror with the new baby, it thinks its another ducky friend. And...it really works, I had to do it and I'll have to do it again unfortunately with another hatch from Ebay with only 1 duck hatching...

I don't know if you saw my earlier post where I put a hardware cloth fence inside the bathtub to separate two if the younger ducklings from the baby. Well, today I removed the fence and it looked like everything was going to work. The older ducklings allowed the baby duckling to lie next to them. But, the baby duckling wants to nibble on the older duckling's feathers. Well, the older ducklings weren't having that and reverted to trying to attack the baby after about 15 minutes. So the fence went back in, for now. I will try again a few hours later.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

I don't know if you saw my earlier post where I put a hardware cloth fence inside the bathtub to separate two if the younger ducklings from the baby. Well, today I removed the fence and it looked like everything was going to work. The older ducklings allowed the baby duckling to lie next to them. But, the baby duckling wants to nibble on the older duckling's feathers. Well, the older ducklings weren't having that and reverted to trying to attack the baby after about 15 minutes. So the fence went back in, for now. I will try again a few hours later.

That’s progress anyway!!!