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Hey zook, yes very normal, it's amazing how long they can go without pooping but watch out when she brings them outside.
I just checked and this wee one was at the edge of her wing. Momma is very calm now that they are hatching. I petted her and she sat and just tucked in more feathers. I could see some eggs under her so tomorrow should be better. At least these will bond to momma unlike Turbo last year! Also the other duck is starting to pull feathers for her nest that now has 15 eggs in it, but not setting all day usually from 6pm till about 8am so far.Hey zook, yes very normal, it's amazing how long they can go without pooping but watch out when she brings them outside.
I checked this morning and from what I can see there are 7 or 8 babies under her.
I checked this morning and from what I can see there are 7 or 8 babies under her.Some nice and fluffy and some still drying out. Hard to tell exactly but 2 or 3 eggs still under her but can't tell if the are pipped or not. She is amazingly calm. I can lift her wings, gently raise her up and pull out empty shells and she just coo's away and adjusts the fluff around her babies. So different than when she was setting up to hatch day. She was so mean to the other duck and drake. She has not been off the eggs in nearly two days now. I don't want to be down wind when she finally comes off to poo.
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What a sweet pic, couldn't bring it up last night glad to be able to see it today.I just checked and this wee one was at the edge of her wing. Momma is very calm now that they are hatching. I petted her and she sat and just tucked in more feathers. I could see some eggs under her so tomorrow should be better. At least these will bond to momma unlike Turbo last year! Also the other duck is starting to pull feathers for her nest that now has 15 eggs in it, but not setting all day usually from 6pm till about 8am so far.
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Spirit
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I'm not GQ but I don't think she nor I have used a heat lamp on any of our hatches with mamas taking care. Believe me those ducklings are hardy. I was amazed how how hardy they are. Congrats on new babies!!I checked this morning and from what I can see there are 7 or 8 babies under her.Some nice and fluffy and some still drying out. Hard to tell exactly but 2 or 3 eggs still under her but can't tell if the are pipped or not. She is amazingly calm. I can lift her wings, gently raise her up and pull out empty shells and she just coo's away and adjusts the fluff around her babies. So different than when she was setting up to hatch day. She was so mean to the other duck and drake. She has not been off the eggs in nearly two days now. I don't want to be down wind when she finally comes off to poo.
GQ I did have a thought. Do you use heat lamps to keep the babies warm or let mom do it. Seems to me ducks in the wild and domestic ones that have nests out in the free range look after their babies without using supplemental heat. The seem to do just fine. Or is it a man made idea they need our heat lamps to survive. When I'm out early morning on my driving runs I see so many wild ducks with like 15 babies and they survive the cool night and flourish. If I leave them with mom then there is no heat lamp out there.
I was tending to think that they would be fine with mom keeping them warm. With daytime highs to 70F and night lows mid 50's for the next while they won't be subject to any near freezing temps and will be in a duck house too. Gave mom water in a dish she drank alot but stayed on her babies.
