The Broody Duck Thread for 2014

[Lacrystol]

no he's been off the antibiotics almost 2 weeks

Ok give them two weeks to breed you'll have a better hatching rate...

Two weeks for the antibiotics to get out of the system and two weeks of good fertiled eggs...

 

[Lacrystol]

so far there is no sign of the infection returning blows my mind but he's doing good!

Good deal!!!

 

[Lacrystol]

yeah but I took them and now I can't find where she is going

SHAME ON YOU and it sounds like she's teaching you a lesson.,DONT MESS WITH MY KIDS!!!!

 

[Lacrystol]

Hey Miss Lydia -- any chance that you are out there?  Your recent suggestions were very helpful, but now I need a little more support.  I had decided I was wrong about the pipped egg as I really didn't think they were due to hatch until next week.  And it wasn't typical looking.  It turns out I need to be away from home pretty much all day tomorrow from early morning.  I thought I would just take a quick look at the nest to see if things looked pretty uneventful and then leave them be and not worry.  Of course the egg in question now has about 1/3 of the shell missing and a very dry white membrane with a few blood spots covering the duckling.  I carried it to the house to see if I could discern if the duckling was alive or not (and of course it still is).  I refuse to pick at the eggshell (I've learned my lesson on that front), so I sprayed the membrane with warm water (away from where it appears the beak might be BARELY peaking through), and put the egg back in the nest, and plan on letting nature take its course from here.  I'm a little concerned that 'mom' duck seems quite happy to leave the nest if I'm anywheres near it.  My ducks in the past have been quite protective.  It is quite warm here (in the eighties) and dry.  There is a wading pool with fresh water available to her which she still uses several times a day, so I feel that that should keep the eggs a little moist.  I'm kind of wondering if this egg got a little damaged along the line and it's really not time, but the egg shell is just breaking away and falling off.  Who knows ...   And of course my sad little incubator died after it's last use, so other than using a heat lamp, I'm not equipped to bring the egg into the house and observe.

I've got some thoughts on what you could do. Get a plastic container, cover the top, make a hole so that you can fit the heating lamp. Check temp get it up to 101, what him hatch!!

 

[Lacrystol]

All you can do is all you can do. I have never had success helping along a hatch. Momma Duck knows best. If it's warm, mom might spend more time off the nest, too.

I just helped out 8 babies, and tons more before that.

 

[Lacrystol]

Thanks.  Maybe I'll spray it one more time before we all turn in for the night and then hope for the best in the morning.  Won't get my hopes up, but felt I could maybe give the duckling a little bit of a chance.

I wouldn't keep spraying him, what kind of ducks??

 

[Lacrystol]

All you can do is all you can do. I have never had success helping along a hatch. Momma Duck knows best. If it's warm, mom might spend more time off the nest, too.

If your losing them while helping you need a better system, there's definitely ways to get them out without harming them..

 

[121zues]

SHAME ON YOU and it sounds like she's teaching you a lesson.,DONT MESS WITH MY KIDS!!!!

Ha ha... I still can't find her nest I'm waiting for her just to disappear... My kids have been hunting and hunting.

 

[Lacrystol]

Ha ha... I still can't find her nest I'm waiting for her just to disappear... My kids have been hunting and hunting.

you leave her a lone, OH wait you have no choice. HAHAHHA because she's not splilling the beans. LOL

 

[bhj123]

You didn't offend just wanted to know. lol  My Muscovy's live with chickens and geese and they all mingle together fine. They all have their own sleeping quarters though. About the only time there is any problems is when I have broody's they can get cantankerous but that's with any female water fowl. Sometimes if the chickens get too close they will get feathers pulled but my LF hens can push back too. Drakes can get a bit nippy but from all I read on here that's with any breed of duck. I just love it when they wag their tails . My Scovy's pretty much stay to themselves and have never hurt any of my grandchildren I also taught my GC to not tease or chase the ducks/ geese or chickens too. 

Thank you!! I may end up getting Scottie's because of all I've been reading since my last post. Apparently it all depends on the owner and how much time is spent with the animals.