Set eggs 3/5. Looking for others to hatch with!

[Ilovemyduckies]

So what do I look for in duck eggs at the different stages?

You look for about the same thing from a chicken egg. You should be able to see veins around days 5-8. Here is a link tht shows every stage of the development:
http://www.metzerfarms.com/Candling.cfm

So exited, I got my first duck egg of the year yesterday

I got another today. I plan see how many eggs I have after 10 days and incubate them.

 

[Ilovemyduckies]

I don't know how I'm going to candle mine though because they are black...

 

[JulieNKC]

I don't know how I'm going to candle mine though because they are black...

I think you should be able to rub off some of the black. My anconas first eggs were green-gray and I could scratch some of it off easily.

 

[wholewheatchicken]

You look for about the same thing from a chicken egg. You should be able to see veins around days 5-8. Here is a link tht shows every stage of the development:
http://www.metzerfarms.com/Candling.cfm

So exited, I got my first duck egg of the year yesterday

I got another today. I plan see how many eggs I have after 10 days and incubate them.

What kind of ducks? I have been converted from a chicken lover to a true duck lover. They may be messy, but you can't beat their personalities! I would like some saxony ducks that someone has near me, but I think my DH might kill me! They are so pretty.

 

[Ilovemyduckies]

What kind of ducks? I have been converted from a chicken lover to a true duck lover. They may be messy, but you can't beat their personalities! I would like some saxony ducks that someone has near me, but I think my DH might kill me! They are so pretty.

What kind of ducks do I have? I have one cayuga, two pekins, one cayuga/pekin mix, one khaki campbell, and I think one welsh harlequin. I have always been a duck lover. My aunt had ducks and I fell in love with them. Of course, I decided that I had to have some. After asking my dad about it several times, he finally agreed. Then if i had ducks, I couldn't not have chickens! My aunt was moving and could not take her chickens with her, so I took two of them, and she found someone else to take the rest (I was hoping to take one or two of the ducks too, but she had already promised them to someone else). Yeah, I LOVE ducks (and chickens )

 

[wholewheatchicken]

What kind of ducks do I have? I have one cayuga, two pekins, one cayuga/pekin mix, one khaki campbell, and I think one welsh harlequin. I have always been a duck lover. My aunt had ducks and I fell in love with them. Of course, I decided that I had to have some. After asking my dad about it several times, he finally agreed. Then if i had ducks, I couldn't not have chickens! My aunt was moving and could not take her chickens with her, so I took two of them, and she found someone else to take the rest (I was hoping to take one or two of the ducks too, but she had already promised them to someone else). Yeah, I LOVE ducks (and chickens )

I need some serious duck help! We have six Pekins. Five of them are five weeks old, one is two weeks old....couldn't resist the new little hatchling when we were there to buy.
How warm does it need to be for them to live outside without a heat lamp....or how old do they have to be? I can't find any great answers on the Internet.
Second, how in the world do they sleep in a duck house at night with all the poop they create????? And how do you clean it up every day?????

Right now ours are able to stay outside most days since the weather is warm enough and then I bring them back in at night. They have outgrown their baby pen we made them and are now living in the bathtub at night. I can't believe the amount of mess they create by in the morning.

Third, how old will they be when they don't need food/water left out at night for them? I've noticed the older ducks are getting to where they don't eat or drink much overnight anymore and are sleeping in later in the morning.....thank goodness!

Any other duck housing advice would be greatly appreciated. My DH and I are perplexed on this part of duck care.

 

[Ilovemyduckies]

I need some serious duck help! We have six Pekins. Five of them are five weeks old, one is two weeks old....couldn't resist the new little hatchling when we were there to buy.
How warm does it need to be for them to live outside without a heat lamp....or how old do they have to be? I can't find any great answers on the Internet.
Second, how in the world do they sleep in a duck house at night with all the poop they create????? And how do you clean it up every day?????

Right now ours are able to stay outside most days since the weather is warm enough and then I bring them back in at night. They have outgrown their baby pen we made them and are now living in the bathtub at night. I can't believe the amount of mess they create by in the morning.

Third, how old will they be when they don't need food/water left out at night for them? I've noticed the older ducks are getting to where they don't eat or drink much overnight anymore and are sleeping in later in the morning.....thank goodness!

Any other duck housing advice would be greatly appreciated. My DH and I are perplexed on this part of duck care.

I usually wait until mine are almost fully feathered until I put them outside full time. Mine are 4 weeks right now and I take them outside during the day and put them back in the brooder during the night. Yup, they are messy. And chicks and ducks together is twice the trouble. The chicks dig in their food and get it everywhere, and the duckling soak the entire brooder. They are usually out of food and water by morning. As far as the duck house goes, I have an old blanket in the duck house. All I have to do is clean that. You can probably stop giving them food 24/7 when they are about three months. I can't give too much advice with the duck house, I just use a big dog house.

 

[wholewheatchicken]

I usually wait until mine are almost fully feathered until I put them outside full time. Mine are 4 weeks right now and I take them outside during the day and put them back in the brooder during the night. Yup, they are messy. And chicks and ducks together is twice the trouble. The chicks dig in their food and get it everywhere, and the duckling soak the entire brooder. They are usually out of food and water by morning. As far as the duck house goes, I have an old blanket in the duck house. All I have to do is clean that. You can probably stop giving them food 24/7 when they are about three months. I can't give too much advice with the duck house, I just use a big dog house.

I don't see these duckies living in my bathtub for three more weeks.....that would be five weeks on that baby

They've almost outgrown the tub now as it is!
How do you clean the dog blanket?
How do you clean the dog house?
They are funny with their water! Every night before they settle in for bed I let them splash around in the water in the tub and they go beserk. I have never seen anything go so nuts for a bit of water to splash around in. Then I dry them up really good with towels and tuck them in for bed and off to sleep they go until morning.

 

[B J Hopkins]

I don't see these duckies living in my bathtub for three more weeks.....that would be five weeks on that baby

They've almost outgrown the tub now as it is!
How do you clean the dog blanket?
How do you clean the dog house?
They are funny with their water! Every night before they settle in for bed I let them splash around in the water in the tub and they go beserk. I have never seen anything go so nuts for a bit of water to splash around in. Then I dry them up really good with towels and tuck them in for bed and off to sleep they go until morning.

My goodness you do like your ducks! I had a Rouen Drake and 2 hens of the same breed. I just lost my drake to a fox a couple days ago. The two hens have been laying eggs for close to a month now so I've collected their eggs for the past 3 mornings & put them in the incubator. Perhaps I'll get a drake from them. But I must say I REALLY like my chickens much better than ducks. I do love seeing them play in the water.

 

[wholewheatchicken]

My goodness you do like your ducks! I had a Rouen Drake and 2 hens of the same breed. I just lost my drake to a fox a couple days ago. The two hens have been laying eggs for close to a month now so I've collected their eggs for the past 3 mornings & put them in the incubator. Perhaps I'll get a drake from them. But I must say I REALLY like my chickens much better than ducks. I do love seeing them play in the water.

I'm so sorry to hear about your drake. I just got a phone call from someone a few hours ago and they were asking for a friend how they could go about finding an adult Rouen hen as theirs was just killed also. I know how bad it hurts to lose one to a predator........
And yes, I do love the ducks. I think it is amazing how bonded they are to each other. Chickens have cliques, but ducks seem to be closer than that. Every day when I put them outside I can only carry two at a time and whoever gets out there first sits and quacks for the others until the last two of the six are out and then off they go together to explore the yard and they are always together like best friends. And I love the way they enjoy the evening. Chickens are scared to death as soon as the sun starts dipping down.....ducks just start settling in for the night. It's easy to want to do so much for critters that really enjoy and appreciate the effort! I found some muskovy ducks for sale near me, but I didn't want to ask my DH about them until the Pekins moved out and now they're gone. Oh, well, I didn't really need another duck!