Results of mixed incubation duck, chicken and bantam....

[lindisfarne]

Hi there

thought we'd share our recent hatch with you! we incubated runner duck eggs with the addition of chicken a week later to sync hatches....unfortunately we made an error with the bantam eggs and put them in couple of days after the chicken.....However, on day 26 we had the 2 fertile duck eggs hatch and day 20 the chickens hatched but because we put the bantams in later they hatched day 21, so was 3 days after. Humidity was at 40/45% until lockdown when we raised to 60%, aswell as spraying the duck eggs daily, temp was pretty steady at around 37.5-37.9. All the eggs that made it to lockdown hatched!

This was very exciting as it was our first duck hatch and our first time hatching our own chickens and bantams! In total we ended up with 2 runner ducks(not sure of colours but look like trout and a variation on trout) 3 chickens, and 3 bantams.Was so exciting to see how our own chicks would turn out...just gotta wait and see how many roos... heres some pics...

Nutmeg and Mustard having their first swim at 4days

Tried to get a group shot in the brooder






Bingo-5 toes, mix of copper maran and silkie cross


Crackle-mix of Polish and pekin bantam


Pop- 5 toes. mix of silkie and silkie cross


Bango- one foot 4 toes and one foot 5 toes! copper maran and silkie cross

Bongo- Same parents as Bingo and Bango


Snap-Silkie and silkie cross, same parents as Pop

 

[SavvyPractical]

Congrats on a great hatch! Your new babies are too cute. I recently purchased four ducks (pekins) and then learned how to sex them. I ended up with 3 females and one male. I have 17 out of setting 23 that are ready for hatch during the next few days and a double yolker that has pipped and is zipping now. I hope my hatch goes as well as yours!

 

[lindisfarne]

Thanks!
Good luck with your double yoker-will be following that one! how did you best sex your ducklings?voice and feather or did you do the vent sexing?

 

[SavvyPractical]

Vent sexing. It wasn't as bad as I thought it might be. I gave mine a swim first, because then tend to 'go' in water. That way no unfortunate accidents. Ducks, for me at least seem a lot easier than chickens.

 

[lindisfarne]

thanks-was always a bit scared by the vent sexing....may have to give it a go....