One Lone Duckling

[Miss Lydia]

Well my Muscovy Ruthie was sitting on 5 eggs, hatch day was Thursday but one duckling hatched on Wed. [cutest little thing] well Thurs morn I found one had started hatching but didn't make it, then this morning I decided to candle the remaining eggs and the last 3 weren't any good. So we have 1 healthy lil duckling out of this hatch and she has a cousin that is 4 weeks old waiting for her outside. Now my question for anyone who may know, We have an Embden gander who loves to mate with the Muscovy girls, all but 3 of them anyway. So do you think maybe there is a correlation between the poor hatch rate and maybe this mating? The other 3 eggs weren't even fertile we also have 2 Muscovy drakes which mate with these girls. I'm sad for Ruthie that for all her work she only got 1 duckling but maybe it's the age of my girls and drakes too? 1 drake 9 yrs old 3 of my girls are 8yrs. Don't know maybe has something to do with fertility?

 

[larkflying]

I have a Cochin Rooster that is going on 3 -- all the eggs of his hens were infertile. I would bet that age has a big impact on fertility - I know it does with chickens. Since you've seen the drakes mating with the hens, that isn't the issue. Don't know about the gander since haven't had that issue yet.

At least you got one duckling! I had a bantam hen hatch out one duckling on Tuesday this week -- I keep hoping for one of my broody ducks to hatch out eggs, but so far they are all sitting tight. If I only end up with the one baby, I'll be sad, but I imagine that at least one of my silkies will go broody again, so, I'll probably get a few more.

I bet the gander wants to steal that duckling : ) I think I'm going to have to block off my momma ducks from the geese when they hatch out their eggs . . .

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have a Cochin Rooster that is going on 3 -- all the eggs of his hens were infertile. I would bet that age has a big impact on fertility - I know it does with chickens. Since you've seen the drakes mating with the hens, that isn't the issue. Don't know about the gander since haven't had that issue yet.

At least you got one duckling! I had a bantam hen hatch out one duckling on Tuesday this week -- I keep hoping for one of my broody ducks to hatch out eggs, but so far they are all sitting tight. If I only end up with the one baby, I'll be sad, but I imagine that at least one of my silkies will go broody again, so, I'll probably get a few more.

I bet the gander wants to steal that duckling : ) I think I'm going to have to block off my momma ducks from the geese when they hatch out their eggs . . .

He is in love, he has adopted the duckling from the first hatch and now he is standing guard in front of the nest box with this new one. He loves these girls that are broody too. Now if my newest ducks go broody he'll not have anything to do with them i am thinking he hates the drake that mates with them. I'd even be concerned for their ducklings as well. But so far they haven't shown any interest in brooding.How many broody ducks do you have sitting right now, and congrats on the 1 duckling. I am tickled she hatched the 1 it is a cutie.

 

[larkflying]

I have 2 broody ducks and one mysterious maybe -- she's adding to her nest, but isn't really sitting yet. I checked on the two definate broody ducks this morning -- one was sitting devotedly - a foot off her nest. Hope that hadn't gone on long -- I gently shoved her onto her eggs and she was sort of sheepish. I saw her on the nest this morning, so I think she just got temporarily confused while rearranging her eggs. My one gander picks on her a bit -- don't know if he hears babies in the eggs and is looking for them, or what, but I'm going to have to shut her in soon.

The other broody had some rotten eggs -- I could smell them. Hope they both hatch out ducklings soon, so my lone little duck won't be too much older . . . later today I'm going to try to take away the stinky eggs -- hope none explode on me.

I think I might have a big broody Jersey Giant -- if so, I'm switching out her eggs for one of the stockpiled nests . . .

I think your gander might just decide to steal the babies from the ducks if they hatch out a lot -- hoping that you get a great hatch! Muscovy ducks are such good mommas . . . I'm wondering how my WH's will do . . .

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have 2 broody ducks and one mysterious maybe -- she's adding to her nest, but isn't really sitting yet. I checked on the two definate broody ducks this morning -- one was sitting devotedly - a foot off her nest. Hope that hadn't gone on long -- I gently shoved her onto her eggs and she was sort of sheepish. I saw her on the nest this morning, so I think she just got temporarily confused while rearranging her eggs. My one gander picks on her a bit -- don't know if he hears babies in the eggs and is looking for them, or what, but I'm going to have to shut her in soon.

The other broody had some rotten eggs -- I could smell them. Hope they both hatch out ducklings soon, so my lone little duck won't be too much older . . . later today I'm going to try to take away the stinky eggs -- hope none explode on me.

I think I might have a big broody Jersey Giant -- if so, I'm switching out her eggs for one of the stockpiled nests . . .

I think your gander might just decide to steal the babies from the ducks if they hatch out a lot -- hoping that you get a great hatch! Muscovy ducks are such good mommas . . . I'm wondering how my WH's will do . . .

So far no stealing just standing by watching over them. The eggs i took from Ruthis this morning were probably pretty close to being nasty. I always have to open them after I am sure they are no living and they did stink. Hope you have a great hatch and don't forget the pics. My gander loves 3 of our Muscovies the other 5 not so much.