Pirate ducklings with chicken mama!

[PirateGirl]

I am enthralled! I think I'm almost as invested in this duckling-under-a-chicken hatch as you are! Can't wait to see the little fuzz butts.

You will have to try it yourself!

 

[PirateGirl]

Ok, so I know in incubator hatching humidity is a big deal, but what about with broodies? Like I live in an extremely dry climate at extremely high altitude and this is a chicken, not a duck... will these things cause problems at hatch?

 

[aart]

Ok, so I know in incubator hatching humidity is a big deal, but what about with broodies? Like I live in an extremely dry climate at extremely high altitude and this is a chicken, not a duck... will these things cause problems at hatch?

Hmmm....I doubt it, I don't worry about that with my chicken broodies,
but that's hatching chicken eggs.
Wonders if chicken broodies hatching ducks eggs would make a difference?
Do duck broodies get wet while sitting @WVduckchick ?

 

[PirateGirl]

I’ve never hatched at all... do duck eggs require higher humidity in an incubator? You know, to simulate a damp mama?

 

[WVduckchick]

Duck broodies do get wet while sitting, but I usually see mine stay off the eggs and shake their feathers really well before getting back on the eggs. They dry fast too.

I had some duck eggs under a chicken, but changed my mind and swapped them out for chicken eggs and incubated the duck eggs myself, so I’ve never let a chicken hatch a duckling yet.

My theory is that they can feel the movement (and non-movement) inside the eggs, and hear the chirping when they internally pip, and they instinctively know when to stay put for hatch time. I believe they regulate their body humidity throughout the sitting. It’s very humid here and I see my ducks just standing over the eggs at times, letting them air out.

I think chicken momma will do fine! can’t wait to see the pirate ducklings.

 

[WVduckchick]

I had 3 call duck broodies sitting in 3 different areas. The first one hatched 10 (lost one first day) last Thursday/Friday. Second one hatched 6 on Saturday/Sunday. Last one hatched 7 yesterday. Duckling explosion here! Lol

 

[PirateGirl]

I had 3 call duck broodies sitting in 3 different areas. The first one hatched 10 (lost one first day) last Thursday/Friday. Second one hatched 6 on Saturday/Sunday. Last one hatched 7 yesterday. Duckling explosion here! Lol

Calls make the cutest ducklings of them all!!

 

[CrazyCrttr75]

Now that we are 2 weeks in to sitting, my Annabelle (Khaki Campbell) has been getting off of her nest in the evening to wet her feathers and stretch her wings but doesn't stay away too long at all. Before then, she just didn't want to budge. I was able to candle a few eggs. I even saw a wee one moving inside one of the eggs! It was AWESOME! I was so excited and trying to be quick that I only candled a few because I was worried about handling them too much and 1 grabbed 1 pic. I will try to check them out a little more probably next week and see where we are at. Hopefully I will be calmer lol. Here is the only pic that I got. The black line around the egg is a marker but you can definitely see all of the veins and stuff. A couple of the eggs looked to be filled more than the others so I am worried that she is going to be hatching over a few days or something may be wrong with them. I'm trying to be prepared for that just in case. Again, I'll do a better candling next week or so to get a better idea of what exactly I am looking at. I may try and candle sooner if the chance arises.

 

[PirateGirl]

Now that we are 2 weeks in to sitting, my Annabelle (Khaki Campbell) has been getting off of her nest in the evening to wet her feathers and stretch her wings but doesn't stay away too long at all. Before then, she just didn't want to budge. I was able to candle a few eggs. I even saw a wee one moving inside one of the eggs! It was AWESOME! I was so excited and trying to be quick that I only candled a few because I was worried about handling them too much and 1 grabbed 1 pic. I will try to check them out a little more probably next week and see where we are at. Hopefully I will be calmer lol. Here is the only pic that I got. The black line around the egg is a marker but you can definitely see all of the veins and stuff. A couple of the eggs looked to be filled more than the others so I am worried that she is going to be hatching over a few days or something may be wrong with them. I'm trying to be prepared for that just in case. Again, I'll do a better candling next week or so to get a better idea of what exactly I am looking at. I may try and candle sooner if the chance arises.
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That is a good looking egg! Isn’t it amazing to see MOVEMENT!?!

 

[WVduckchick]

Looking good!!

And ones the seem to be further along could have just been closer to the side of the egg. You'll know more when they get closer to due.