new muscovy duckilngs hatching NOW!

[muddymomma]

this is my first clutch. the mom has incubated the eggs, 15 total. i noticed a lot of activity in the chicken yard and went to check it out. there are several ducklings already hatched out, a few eggs where it looks like they're breaking out now. they're all still in the nest which is in an igloo dog house. so i'm wondering if i need to put some food out there for them or does the mom typically handle it? any special food needs for her? i should be prepared but i must have calculated the time wrong, thought i had another week. there are also some other muscovy ducks in the chicken yard w/ them, probably about 2mos old, still fuzzy. they follow the mom around the yard when she comes out for a break. i can put the mom & babies in their own area if i need to do that. will the mom keep them warm at night or would it be best to get a light bulb in there? i'm in MT and it's getting pretty chilly at night already, highs in the upper 60s today.

i'd like to make sure i have as many live ducklings as possible. my gorgeous drake ventured to the irrigation ditch and disappeared, i suspect he's eagle poop by now. if i can get some of his offspring i'll be thrilled. any advise would be greatly appreciated!

 

[jdywntr]

I'd put some food out. Unmedicated started will do. The extra protein would probably be good for mom too. She should be able to keep them warm enough but if the area is big enough, something to keep them warmer may not hurt. I would watch the other ducks. If there are any adults seperate them. The 2 month olds may or may not be a problem I think mom will make it clear if she does not want them around.

 

[kuntrygirl]

That is so exciting!!! Post pics when you can.

 

[muddymomma]

i have some starter ration but it may be medicated?, i'm not sure and the tag fell off the bag so no way to tell really. should i buy new?

there are no adult ducks, i only started w/ 3, the male ran off and got eaten i think, and the other female i think was picked up and dropped by an eagle. needless to say i have lots of little shelters around the chicken yard for them to dash under if an eagle comes by! i don't know if this is the first clutch the female has hatched. the guy i got them from said she's laid before but that he always took her eggs. i don't know how old she is either, she started laying eggs the day after i got her which was a shock needless to say!

i just checked them again and the mom is still sitting on the babies and eggs and hisses at me as usual. not all the eggs have hatched, how long should i wait to know if they're duds? i'm pretty sure they've just started hatching this morning. i'm so unprepared, guess you could say i'm a nervous 1st time mom.

my chickens are just starting to get old enough to start laying, it's all so new to me! thanks for the help!

kuntrygirl i'll post pics as soon as i get a chance. they're so cute!

 

[jdywntr]

Quote:
Wait a few days or when mom leaves the nest with the hatchlings.

What brand is the food?

 

[greymane]

Awesome! Best wishes for a happy little family.

 

[muddymomma]

the food is from payback, starter crumbles. tag fell off so don't know any other info, the bags are all the same.

 

[learycow]

Just to be safe, I would buy a new bag of starter. Make sure it is unmedicated. The medicated feed can be harmful and even deadly for ducks.

You shouldn't need a heat lamp. As long as she can fit all the babies under her (mine had 17 and they all just barely fit) she should be able to keep them warm. You might want to put some hay in her shelter. That will make her nest warmer.

My hen hatched all of her eggs. I would wait a week at least before I throw out any unhatched eggs. I've had eggs hatch a week later than the rest even when set together. But if she abandons them before then, then they probably are duds. The mothers always seem to know (my hen kicked out a few eggs before they started to hatch. I broke them open and each one was rotten! Smart duck!)

Good luck and be sure to post updates!

 

[muddymomma]

ok i'll get a new bag, thanks for the info!

so here's a new dilemma, i just checked on her and there was a duck that looked like it was stuck in it's shell. it was peeping and trying to move but couldnt' get out of the shell which had a good sized hole but that's all. so i helped it out and put it back in w/ the female. she started pecking at it, and kept at it. if i'd have left it she'd have probably killed it. i know i should have left it alone, but i jsut couldn't help myself. so now i guess i get to be a mother duck to this little cutie, only it's crusty and got bits of shell stuck to it, mostly on the wings. it was difficult to get it out of the shell, almost like it'd been glued inside. it's pretty much dry and only has some tufts of fluffy (hair? feathers?), the rest is crusty w/ shell bits stuck to it. should i bathe it? i've got it under a heat lamp now, don't want to chill it.

so many questions... food? i'm assuming unmedicated chick starter...do i wet it down and feed the duckling or will it eat on it's own?... water is obvious... bedding? i was going to get some wood shavings when i pick up the starter. if there's a thread that would advise i'll be happy to check it out, i looked but didnt' see anything, though no doubt i've missed it.

thanks for the help everybody!

 

[muddymomma]

i have some pictures too, i'll post them in a few mins.