Sooo I’m gonna need another possibly two ducks...

[Fisherlmiranda]

They are on day 12 . Imprinting is the best, we have some 2 week old cayuga and they follow us everywhere! It's the cutest! I'll let you know when the eggs start piping. They usually hatch on day 28, so on day 26 they go into "lock down" where you stop turning them, and up the humidity. They usually start piping and can take up to 48hr to hatch.

 

[Fisherlmiranda]

I'm sad about the other ducks that got attacked. But its actually worked out ok because, the other ones learned from that experience. They dont fo to the creek any more where the one was nabbed by a raccoon. And when they see a hawk, they hide in the cat tails. So hopefully they will teach the new ducks the same!

 

[AngieMaesChix]

Aww I’m sooo excited hope everything turns out good!! Mine while not imprinted (they were at least few days old and in a store chain so many hands on them) do follow me some..they definitely come to me when they feel threatened and come looking for me when their free ranging and can’t see me or feel I’ve been gone too long.. sometimes I sit in chair in house I always leave door open weather permitting and after bit here’s two ducks peeking in to see where I’m at lol..I just love it!!! And once it’s close to time for bed they come and lay by me till I get up and walk them to their coop and run..neighbor last night was over and was floored by how easy bedtime is now..few days ago I was chasing ducks around yard to get them in for bed pretty funny course the guys just watched and laughed...they haven’t been outside even a week..while they were still in house we’d spend days outside and when started getting dark they’d come to be taken inside.. was funny first night in coop my poor Zag when I took them the coop cried for over an hour... but their loving it now!! They learn routine so easily!!!

 

[AngieMaesChix]

I dread the day I ever have an attack on my babies we’re right on the river and it’s a steep embankment..I’m praying they don’t find it before we move in a couple months..it is out back down steep and they stay in the front for now anyway..they have water to play in yard so hopefully I don’t have to worry about it..and yes I would think if your ducks stay away so will the new ones...I don’t wanna have keep mine in their run and want them to have use of yard during the day...

 

[Fisherlmiranda]

They do learn routine, and who their care givers are. Its amazing. I just love all mine too, they are just so fun. Ours did the same when we first tried putting them to bed at night. The ran away from us. But now they come when we call to go into the coop for the night. I really hope all of the eggs hatch and we can get two girls for you!

 

[AngieMaesChix]

Me too!!

 

[Fisherlmiranda]

@AngieMae’sPekinDucks
So I lost another egg. I started with 10 and am down to 8 eggs in the incubator. 2 are gonna hatch on Monday may 14th, and 6 are gonna hatch May 21st. This was kinda a experiment of washed vers unwashed eggs. Because I'd heard pros and cons both ways. But the unwashed egg was the one that just died from infection in the shell. I cracked it open to see what went wrong and there was mold in the shell. Haven't lost any of the washed eggs yet.

 

[Fisherlmiranda]

The mold in the shell

 

[AngieMaesChix]

Oh no so sorry..mold in shell what causes that to happen? An infection? Hard to think it’s because the egg was unwashed..chickens don’t wash their eggs when they hatch them??..haven’t even really started reading into incubating yet it’s on my list for winter as I’d like to try my hand at it next spring..so down to 8 we will see I hope the rest goes smoothly .. and even if not I’m in no rush I have time yet ..I’ll definitely be waiting to see what happens with your hatch first..

 

[Fisherlmiranda]

Ugh! Down to 5 eggs now! I've got another thread going looking for advice on what I might be doing wrong!