Poor fertility in Runners?

[MrsHudson221B]

Second egg just pipped. On wrong end.

 

[MrsHudson221B]

Second egg didn’t make it. I went ahead and broke it open out of curiosity. Was also positioned poorly, and the duckling had a head deformity, so probably wouldn’t have made it for long even if it had hatched well. Nature does these things on purpose sometimes.

Im thinking this egg must’ve come from my blue duck. I had received a blue duckling with this same head deformity with my original order of ducks. (Small pointy head) The chick was black, which is likely genetic-wise since one of my drakes is a black. Luckily, it’s a distinctive egg— I’m considering pulling them from this next set. I really hate culling.

The surviving duckling seems to have curled toes.... Ugh. I really hate poor hatches.

 

[Lil Drake40]

Very sorry about the duckling. The curl toes can usually be fixed with a shoe use a plastic butter bowl etc cut to size of web wrap in vet wrap then place lil web-on and use vet wrap to hold it on the foot usually only takes a few days to correct. Do you have nutrition drench. Give thrill onesme straight with tiny drops along the bill .

 

[MrsHudson221B]

Thanks for the info! The nutridrench perked the baby up a lot, and I’ll get the feet wrapped tonite. Luckily, I have plenty of vet wrap on hand.

 

[Lil Drake40]

Just be careful not to wrap too tight. That’s great about the perkie lil one.

 

[MrsHudson221B]

The feet have seemed to have sorted out on their own, which I’m super- thankful for. The Little Screamer is eating, drinking, and bopping around. I’m running up to Ideal to pick up some buddies for it this afternoon (I ordered right before the cut off, whew!). It’s over an hours drive, but I couldn’t find any ducklings locally and I feel like it’s way to hot to ship birds. I’ve got a tiny stuffed bear and a warm rice sock in with it until I return with friends.

Just got the incubator cleaned out and started running to dial in for next hatch. Hopefully, I’ve got my lessons learned and this next batch will be awesome.


Thanks so much to all for advice and support!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Awesome can't wait to see pics of the little ones. Happy to hear the lil feet are doing good now too.

 

[MrsHudson221B]

We just made it home... I unpacked everybody into a temporary dog crate “brooder” (my dedicated brooder is outside and I’d like to keep an eye on the babies right at first). The Lone Screamer is sooooo happy! Everybody is bopping around being ducklings. Looks like I got a pair of Pekin, a pair of tufted something Mallard-type?? and a single Black Runner to match my lone hatchling. I can only barely tell the two apart now. (Lone Screamer still has a little bit of “sticky chick” gunk on its head)

Here’s the newbies:

 

[MrsHudson221B]

Here’s the best pic I could do for now.... Lone Screamer is front and center smiling for camera (or stuffing itself with crumble, take your pick).

 

[Miss Lydia]

Congrats on the new babes I bet that lil screamer is one happy baby..
Those to with the puffs are adorable. Will you keep them all? Be sure to get them all on either B complex or Nutritional yeast.