Preparing to set call and pekin duck eggs! Hatch day should be March 4, 2021 if all goes well!

[FunnyfarmMidwest]

Best wishes for your hatch! Keep us updated

Thanks so much! The hatch went well. I did a few rounds of call duck eggs but didn’t end up with any standard sized ducklings. I ended up with 14 new call ducks to add to the flock! They’re all doing well!

 

[FunnyfarmMidwest]

I started a thread a few years ago you might be interested in. Lots of good pics of nuptial/eclipse plumage. They only do the full change molt once a year, usually in the summer after their first year. But they also do partial molts throughout the year. I always seem to have a few molting at different times. My snowy drake is the funniest now. He is in the process, his head is half green still, but half black and scraggly looking.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/drakes-eclipse-nuptial-plumage-pics.1258939/

View attachment 2726782

What an interesting thread! I think I have some photos of my pastel drake in his eclipse and nuptial plumage. I’ll have to check.

 

[FunnyfarmMidwest]

Here’s my cat hiding from the stalkers…

 

[Painted Calls]

Here’s my cat hiding from the stalkers… View attachment 2727454View attachment 2727456

This is what they remind me of every time.

 

[FunnyfarmMidwest]

This is what they remind me of every time.

That’s hilarious!
A spot on representation!

 

[HeatherKellyB]

Meet my latest cutie. I've got to check on that other egg beside her to figure out if she's my last hatcher or next to last hatcher. Hopefully the other egg will hatch since they're a different breed. She'll fit in just fine with the others, but if she has an Aussie friend, that'd be great.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

OK. The little one pictured above is my last hatcher for the year. The other egg has always seemed a bit weak and to be honest, it had the weirdest air cell ever. I was shocked that it made it to lock down. These eggs were delayed in shipping by a day, I believe. Whenever I received them, the air cells looked absolutely horrible. Most were completely detached. I believe the lady that shipped them, packaged them with the air cell facing down. So I won't blame one thing or another. I believe the combination of initial issues made for a challenging hatch to begin with. At least I got one beautiful little duckling, so it could definitely be worse.

Any ideas if I could put this one with my last 2 Call ducks that hatched recently. They're almost one week old, I believe. The Aussie is getting around really well from what I can see so far. I guess all I can do is try it and supervise just in case. Any thoughts?

 

[Painted Calls]

OK. The little one pictured above is my last hatcher for the year. The other egg has always seemed a bit weak and to be honest, it had the weirdest air cell ever. I was shocked that it made it to lock down. These eggs were delayed in shipping by a day, I believe. Whenever I received them, the air cells looked absolutely horrible. Most were completely detached. I believe the lady that shipped them, packaged them with the air cell facing down. So I won't blame one thing or another. I believe the combination of initial issues made for a challenging hatch to begin with. At least I got one beautiful little duckling, so it could definitely be worse.

Any ideas if I could put this one with my last 2 Call ducks that hatched recently. They're almost one week old, I believe. The Aussie is getting around really well from what I can see so far. I guess all I can do is try it and supervise just in case. Any thoughts?

I'd totally try it. Just stand there and watch for a while so you can intervene if things go south.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I'd totally try it. Just stand there and watch for a while so you can intervene if things go south.

Thank you! I'm going to clean out their brooder and then I'll try the three of them together. It will be so wonderful if they accept her and everyone gets along well! I won't have any other ducklings for her to join, so it's them or a feather duster Fingers crossed it works. She looks to be very similar in size but I'll be able to tell for sure once they're side by side. Thanks again @Overo Mare How's your flock doing? Is everyone together now and getting along well?

 

[Painted Calls]

Thank you! I'm going to clean out their brooder and then I'll try the three of them together. It will be so wonderful if they accept her and everyone gets along well! I won't have any other ducklings for her to join, so it's them or a feather duster Fingers crossed it works. She looks to be very similar in size but I'll be able to tell for sure once they're side by side. Thanks again @Overo Mare How's your flock doing? Is everyone together now and getting along well?

Let us know how it goes!

Everyone is doing great! Roxy and Butter have been integrated with Rona. I still keep a divider up at times though. Rona didn't get the name B*tch Chicken for nothing.

She's also quite rude.
https://youtube.com/shorts/-Fh8HXL_1tQ?feature=share

The babies are just about completely feathered out. They have been outside full time for a week now. I haven't let them out of their outdoor brooder yet though. They're still small enough to squeeze through my pen.