Old fashioned Broody thread for ducks 2013 edition

[farmer boy]

holy cow what are you gonna do with all those ducklings?

i have no clue lol

 

[Miss Lydia]

i have no clue lol

Good husbandry is Always having a plan.

 

[Duck Drover]

do you know how many are left in the world ?? and thats good of you to try and keep their kind going 

There is only one registered breeder and that is Holderreads in Oregon. Every Australian Spotted duck came out of that breeding stock initially but then the trick is to keep diversity in the breed. Some people linebreed so my younger generation has been linebred from the woman I got them from. She allows the ducks to do their thing and does not interfere, which is how the breed was first developed, but I want to be a bit more selective in my breeding program. I have two unrelated drakes so I can cross lines next year. My first ducklings were out of three drakes so I sold them right away. Now I have my drakes seperate (sold one because I only need two) so I will be able to sell pairs once I can sex them. I can vent sex and voice sex but it is hard to be certain until they are older so I plan to let the hen ducks hatch and raise them while I continue to hatch eggs we find in the yard.

It loooks like crows are finding the eggs because I had three open ones today in a nest I left under a pile of branches but we are clearing the pile and the crows managed to get them before the hen duck started sitting on them. I took the final one to incubate. I assume it must be crows because they make holes but don't eat the egg, they seem to be searching for the unhatched babies to eat. I am worried about my babies when they start hatching. I got some plastic garden fence to put over the tops of my pens to keep the crows out but I will need to move the mamas and babies away from the nests and into the safe pens. I have two ducklings that hatched today in the incubator that came from one nest so I expect the eggs in the nest to start hatching. The hen is well hidden and she has shelter right near here where she can keep the babies hidden once they hatch but I will need to get them into the pen before the crows discover them.

 

[Snownoir]

19 eggs now under my duck omg she wont stop lol

I'd like my girls to try that number. They all keep stopping at 15.

 

[keirys]

when was the last time you saw them mate? and how long was she sitting part time before today? reason I'm asking is if they haven't mated in a couple weeks her recent eggs may not be fertile I can't remember how long eggs can be fertile when mating stops. I was going to say go in next time she is out and just remove the oldest eggs till you get the number you want her to sit. Do you remember how long it's been since she stated laying in the nest?

they mated this morning shes been sitting off and on for about a week

 

[Miss Lydia]

they mated this morning shes been sitting off and on for about a week

Did she lay today? and do they mate everyday? if so then you most likely have fertility in them all just pull the oldest till you get your # your happy with. Did she stay on the nest all day today?

 

[keirys]

Did she lay today? and do they mate everyday? if so then you most likely have fertility in them all just pull the oldest till you get your # your happy with. Did she stay on the nest all day today?

They mate everyday, I dont know if she layed today. She stayed in the nest all day she only got up 3 times today & came back after 30min. I just went out to let her out she didnt want to go out, so I just left her in there. I didnt check if she layed today I figured I will let her settle down a few days then Ill go check.

 

[keirys]

i have no clue lol

Well lets do some duck math lol.....if you keep 5 ducks + the 1 you already have = about 600 ducklings a year

I am keeping 2 ducks & the rest already has homes. But my problem is if I keep 2 ducks wont the dad mate with them ? Is that bad ? How do you guys deal with that ?

 

[farmer boy]

inbreeding is fine because with chickens thats how most breeders keep their birds good quality but after a few years like 2-3 years you will start getting defects so inbreeding is fine to do and it should be the same with ducks im not sure

 

[keirys]

Thanks, I was afraid of that. Hows your ducks doing tonight is she still sitting? Mines been sitting all day