Old fashioned Broody thread for ducks 2013 edition

[quirkybeeper]

It is a full time job that's why I leave it to my ducks. Okay so can you see the membrane yet how does it look?

If my duck would stop quitting on me...so far I've done a better job than her

I can't see the membrane yet, the pip is just like a little pyramid shape sticking up, but I can see where the shell is actually cracked. I can hear her wiggling around and tapping sometimes when I put my ear up against the incubator (a stethoscope would be lovely...). I wish I could pull the little broken pieces off so I could better assess what's going on, but I've been really good about not opening the bator, though it's taken almost all the willpower I have!

 

[quirkybeeper]

I was so worried, but a darling little Pekin just hatched!!

She finally settled down and is resting now...time for me to take a nap!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I was so worried, but a darling little Pekin just hatched!!

She finally settled down and is resting now...time for me to take a nap!!

What a baby doll and sounds like you both are worn out and in need of some rest... Congrats on your new baby..

 

[elsfieldchickens]

I was so worried, but a darling little Pekin just hatched!!

She finally settled down and is resting now...time for me to take a nap!!

congrats!

 

[one old chick]

Hey all, just wanted to share an idea with you . i have electric chicken waterers for my girls but my ducks, well, i was stressing about how to keep water for them through the winter. it would have been so hard to fill every hour as the water would freeze within 15 minutes of putting it out

. I needed something they could play in and submerge the head to blow out the crap. I went online and I found a large electric dog water bowl ($27.00) so i figured i'd give it a try. well, i am so happy i did. it is amazing! this bowl is 10" in diameter and 4" deep. i fill it to a half inch before the top (approx. a gal. and 1/4). they LOVE IT!! they can put the whole head under the water, they even tried to jump in for a swim LOL

I switch out the water every four hours or so during the day to keep it fresh and so far so good. It has a chew resistant cord that I have fed to the back of the bowl through the wire so they really don't ever come in contact with it, but if they did they won't get hurt. i keep the cord up off the floor with 2 x 4 so it doesn't get wet and freeze to the floor (from splashed water). This morning was a good test for my bowl, it's 19 degrees outside and the water is good.

. I just wanted to share in case anyone else is stressing over keeping water thawed for ducks this winter. This bowl is worth it's wieght in gold, it uses as much power as a 60W light bulb. It's going into the single digits by the end of this week and I can't tell you the peace of mind I have right now knowing my ducks will have the water they need. I love my ducks

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hey all, just wanted to share an idea with you . i have electric chicken waterers for my girls but my ducks, well, i was stressing about how to keep water for them through the winter. it would have been so hard to fill every hour as the water would freeze within 15 minutes of putting it out

. I needed something they could play in and submerge the head to blow out the crap. I went online and I found a large electric dog water bowl ($27.00) so i figured i'd give it a try. well, i am so happy i did. it is amazing! this bowl is 10" in diameter and 4" deep. i fill it to a half inch before the top (approx. a gal. and 1/4). they LOVE IT!! they can put the whole head under the water, they even tried to jump in for a swim LOL

I switch out the water every four hours or so during the day to keep it fresh and so far so good. It has a chew resistant cord that I have fed to the back of the bowl through the wire so they really don't ever come in contact with it, but if they did they won't get hurt. i keep the cord up off the floor with 2 x 4 so it doesn't get wet and freeze to the floor (from splashed water). This morning was a good test for my bowl, it's 19 degrees outside and the water is good.

. I just wanted to share in case anyone else is stressing over keeping water thawed for ducks this winter. This bowl is worth it's wieght in gold, it uses as much power as a 60W light bulb. It's going into the single digits by the end of this week and I can't tell you the peace of mind I have right now knowing my ducks will have the water they need. I love my ducks

They are great aren't they? I have 3 heated dog bowls I use them for fermented feed, yes my flock gets warmed food of a morning. LOL and I use the heated buckets they sure make life easier for us. All of mine except one bowl are going into their 4th winter so they last a good while too.

 

[one old chick]

They are great aren't they? I have 3 heated dog bowls I use them for fermented feed, yes my flock gets warmed food of a morning. LOL and I use the heated buckets they sure make life easier for us. All of mine except one bowl are going into their 4th winter so they last a good while too.

Oh, i'm so happy to hear that because i just read a post that someone said they only last one winter. i love it. i'm so happy i bought it. i'm thinking of ordering another. we have livestock as well as poultry and we feel that especially on really cold days the water being warmer than the air (not heated) will warm the belly and keeps them hydrated. we also believe it encourages drinking. we have noticed that our horses are drinking more this winter (approx. 8 gals. a day each) than previous years. we just went to electric heaters for them this year. I have a question about the warm food. What is it you give them? this is my first time for ducks and would love to know what else to feed them besides meal worms (which they love) grit and pellets. we fed clover this summer they loved that too but we don't have it availalbe this time of year. My ducks like foraging through hay that i thrown in. whatever they don't eat they make a bed out of. Also, my ducks just started laying eggs about a month ago. i have been taking all but one out daily. do you know do, they lay all winter? thanks so much.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Oh, i'm so happy to hear that because i just read a post that someone said they only last one winter. i love it. i'm so happy i bought it. i'm thinking of ordering another. we have livestock as well as poultry and we feel that especially on really cold days the water being warmer than the air (not heated) will warm the belly and keeps them hydrated. we also believe it encourages drinking. we have noticed that our horses are drinking more this winter (approx. 8 gals. a day each) than previous years. we just went to electric heaters for them this year. I have a question about the warm food. What is it you give them? this is my first time for ducks and would love to know what else to feed them besides meal worms (which they love) grit and pellets. we fed clover this summer they loved that too but we don't have it availalbe this time of year. My ducks like foraging through hay that i thrown in. whatever they don't eat they make a bed out of. Also, my ducks just started laying eggs about a month ago. i have been taking all but one out daily. do you know do, they lay all winter? thanks so much.

So far the only heated bowl that stopped working was the one I dropped on the patio [stone] and it cracked. I place a board over a section of my heated buckets to keep the ducks from climbing into them and my geese from splashing out all the water. lol they can still dunk their heads just can't bath in them.

I use this method of fermenting my flocks feed. What breed of ducks do you have? some breeds will lay all winter long with short breaks, then other like me who have Muscovy's have to wait till spring for eggs since they are seasonal layers. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/no-strain-hot-water-easy-fermented-feed-method-w-video if you have a TSC close by they have the heated bowls for 12.99 and heated buckets starting at I believe 34.99

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Watch for sales too... I bought my 5gal heated bucket for $25 last year on Sale. If I had a do-over, I would stick with 2.5gal.

 

[Miss Lydia]

congrats!

How's the baby doing today??