Muscovy sexing

Mrs. BJ Hensley Jr.

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9 Years
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This baby was born late and came out of the shell with wry neck. I didn't think it would live. It couldn't eat, it couldn't walk, it couldn't move because it kept stepping on its own face. Its neck was quark shaped like a pig's tail. Last night I read a short story about the healing powers of holism. I decided it wouldn't hurt to let him sleep with the others since it would probably be his last night alive. This morning when we woke up and expected to find dead baby ducks; usually at least two die. Today was different, however, because I didn't find any baby ducks dead. In fact, the one baby duck I was most concerned for was up and active. The wrye neck seems to have been healed with the love and companionship from its siblings. I am going to call this little trooper John Cena. I sure hope its a boy.

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Can the V pattern help distinguish gender? The mamas are a chocolate and white muscovy named "Chocolate Milk" and a blue and white muscovy named "Spider Duck". Dad is a black and white named "The Fonz". I think chocolate milk and spider duck shared the nest cause there's brown babies and black babies... no blue though; spider duck is the setter.

I was gonna let their mama keep them but a phantom snow hit so I took a beating from spider duck and brought the babies inside. There were 18 eggs: 2 did not develop, 1 died in the shell while hatching. I didnt want to help any of them so I left them alone until John Cena started having problems. The inner shell (the soft shell) dried out and stuck to his feathers so I helped a tiny bit after 6 hours. I wasn't prepared for ducklings in the house so I went to the feed store and bought non-medicated starter and they gave me a chick shipping box (with the holes in it). Meanwhile hubby put them in a shoe box under a heat light. I got the stuff home and set it up. They are doing very well except they keep sleeping in their water dish :).
 
That is one cute duckling, and happy to hear how well it's doing after such a rough start. as far as sexing only vent sexing or waiting till around 4-6 weeks when drakes start growing larger than their sisters. and I bet mama could have kept them all warm and toasty , and at this age there is really no telling what colors you'll have it's amazing how they change from week to week. Congrats!!
 
The temperature was not my only concern. She set her nest in the goat house. We had already lost 2 eggs to the goats stepping on them. Believe me I do not like to intervene if I can help it. I have raised enough babies to know when I need to step in. Her last clutch started with 23 and ended with 5. No chances.
 
The temperature was not my only concern. She set her nest in the goat house. We had already lost 2 eggs to the goats stepping on them. Believe me I do not like to intervene if I can help it. I have raised enough babies to know when I need to step in. Her last clutch started with 23 and ended with 5. No chances.
I can understand getting them out of the goats way.
 

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