- Aug 19, 2013
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I had 2 muscovys sitting on their own eggs (one on 3 and the other on 10). The one sitting on 10 got off after 2 weeks (she seems less experienced than the other) so I put her eggs with the 3 under the other muscovy.
The 3 are due to hatch 4 days before the 10.
One egg went grey and had a mouldy pattern so I chucked it as I heard they can explode and effect the other eggs. Another was stood on and broken ( there was a duckling inside which looked well developed which leads me to believe this was one of the 3 as there was 6 days to go for them at this point, 10 days for the others).
I moved the nest somewhere safer where they are on their own. I candled the eggs on day 32 (thursday) and 2 looked like they were getting ready as I could see a lot of movement and they were starting to pip internally.
One had hatched fully on day 35 (sunday) and is doing really well this morning, fluffy, eyes open and active. I think the other is hatching as I can hear faint peeping and a crunching noise of the shell breaking. It's day 36 for the first 2 so I assume this is the other one popping out (it's day 32 for the others).
My worries is that if one of the earlier ones hasn't managed to hatch (one internally pipped a few days ago and I'm worried it may have suffocated as I'm not 100% sure this is the one that is hatching) she will be sitting on the eggs for another few days yet and I don't want a dead one to explode over the others.
Also, as she won't be leaving the nest much until the others hatch, how will the little duckling get food and water? Or should I just see how it goes?
Sorry for the essay, I'm new to all this. I know to leave the mummy duck to it as she knows best but my main concerns are A) if an earlier egg doesn't make it and she's sitting on s time bomb and B) the baby duckling getting food and water during the 4 days before the others are due.
... I should have marked the first 3 eggs so I could tell which ones should have hatched but didn't want to interfere further.
Thanks in advanced for any advice!
The 3 are due to hatch 4 days before the 10.
One egg went grey and had a mouldy pattern so I chucked it as I heard they can explode and effect the other eggs. Another was stood on and broken ( there was a duckling inside which looked well developed which leads me to believe this was one of the 3 as there was 6 days to go for them at this point, 10 days for the others).
I moved the nest somewhere safer where they are on their own. I candled the eggs on day 32 (thursday) and 2 looked like they were getting ready as I could see a lot of movement and they were starting to pip internally.
One had hatched fully on day 35 (sunday) and is doing really well this morning, fluffy, eyes open and active. I think the other is hatching as I can hear faint peeping and a crunching noise of the shell breaking. It's day 36 for the first 2 so I assume this is the other one popping out (it's day 32 for the others).
My worries is that if one of the earlier ones hasn't managed to hatch (one internally pipped a few days ago and I'm worried it may have suffocated as I'm not 100% sure this is the one that is hatching) she will be sitting on the eggs for another few days yet and I don't want a dead one to explode over the others.
Also, as she won't be leaving the nest much until the others hatch, how will the little duckling get food and water? Or should I just see how it goes?
Sorry for the essay, I'm new to all this. I know to leave the mummy duck to it as she knows best but my main concerns are A) if an earlier egg doesn't make it and she's sitting on s time bomb and B) the baby duckling getting food and water during the 4 days before the others are due.
... I should have marked the first 3 eggs so I could tell which ones should have hatched but didn't want to interfere further.
Thanks in advanced for any advice!
