The Duck Thread

[JadeComputerGal]

@Pyxis gorgeous!!!
Not particularly... but didn't want 3:1 boys to girl ratio either, lol... was just a weird fluke that they all turned out to be boys... and why I could never figure out why I couldn't hear a quack...

Wow, that's nuts! That actually seems very statistically unlikely, and I feel for both of you. Now I'm even more curious to see how things are going with us this year. We're going to be grading our first two hatches this weekend so we can decide what we're selling. We've already sexed them, so I know that we have more drakes than ducks, but I'm guessing it's about a 60/40 split. I can't imagine coming up with all drakes, or even with almost all drakes.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi All/ anyone that can please please please help me!

Firstly, I am sorry if I am posting this in the wrong place but needed some advice urgently!

I had 12 cal duckling eggs, I have hatched other duckling when I was younger but never remember it being this hard!

Out of all the ducklings only one had made it this far! hmm.png

Because he is the only one left I have all my hopes and dreams pinned on him and it's not looking great!

I was about to give up yesterday so thought I would candal them one more time (already 3 days late) and as I did one of them moved and cheaped!!!! I was so happy!

But since then nothing, no movement or anything although it was clear he had internally pipped!

I left him 24hrs but could not take it anymore I was so worried he was suffocating! So tonight I externally pipped for him! I was so careful and have damaged him at all!! And I was right he had internally pipped, he is in the correct position, his inner membrane is damp and clear and his beak now has oxygen!

However, he is still not moving or making any noise! How can I tell if he is still alive? Will he have suffocated already? I don't want to disturb him anymore!! I've wrapped him in a warm wet towel and he is back in the incubator! I will continue to check his membrane isn't drying out but I need to know he is alive!! Is it normal for him not to be shouting?

hmm.pnghmm.png

Any help greatly appreciated! I'm already so upset I have only one and failed the other 11 sad.pngsad.png

Can you make a safe hole? have you done one before? @Lacrystol help please.

 

[Wobbles]

Holy hannah! So much cute on here this a.m.!

I better add to it


Sweet Oakley girl

Pogo and Oakley


Willow and Wobbles

 

[JadeComputerGal]

Unfortunately I think you are right!

I had 12 eggs in total from 2 different supplier but they were both shipped!

I was so happy when one survived as I thought they were all lost causes but shouldn't have gotten my hopes up as now I'm devastated!

It won't put me off though I will try again in a couple of weeks, would it be better to see if I could find some local eggs?

Thank you for helping me and being honest, it's better to know!

Yes, other things being equal, local eggs are always going to be better because they don't go through all the handling shipped eggs go through. Unfortunately, local eggs aren't an option for most people, especially if you want something like Call eggs. I've had good luck with eggs from @Lacrystol , but I don't know if she has any right now that she's willing to part with. I've also had good luck with a seller from NY, and I can look him up if you like.

That being said, Lacrystol is in the state next to me on one side, and the other seller is in the state on the other side, so my eggs didn't have to travel as far as yours might. Shipping distance can have a dramatic effect on the condition the eggs will be in when they reach you, simply because they go through more hands, conveyors, etc., the farther they're shipped.

You don't say where you are, but I think you should give it another go even if you can't find local eggs. Maybe we can help you find some eggs and help you though the incubation and hatching.

 

[mattieduck]

I'm in the UK about an hour outside of London, I've tried a few local farmers but no luck yet!

I am so greatful I have found you and would love to take you up on your offer of help!

I hatched lots of ducklings when younger with the help of my mum and the incubator has hatched chicks recently so no problem there!

It doesn't have a humidity checker but I don't think this was an issue as the membrane looked wet and healthy when I looked inside!

I've heard calls are really hard to hatch! But I would really like some! I'm going to try and leave the pat as it is now and look forward trying again!

Thanks again!

 

[ricebabyca]

Wow, that's nuts! That actually seems very statistically unlikely, and I feel for both of you. Now I'm even more curious to see how things are going with us this year. We're going to be grading our first two hatches this weekend so we can decide what we're selling. We've already sexed them, so I know that we have more drakes than ducks, but I'm guessing it's about a 60/40 split. I can't imagine coming up with all drakes, or even with almost all drakes.

I exaggerated little, I do get some females, but it seems like I always get way more boys than girls. One small clutch or 6 Muscovies was 5 drakes, one duck, and last year I got abot 75% male peachicks.

 

[OldMissionChick]

OldMissionChick, i don't have my computer right now...so I cannot send you the link, but Haunted55 found that if you

Soak the foot well
Put a few drops of clear - clear, not brown - iodine on the bumble
Wait several days
Soak the foot well again

The dark spot may come loose and pull the kernel out with it. If it does not easily loosen the first time, repeat the clear iodine, wait and try again.

We were able to pull the black spot out yesterday, looked like a piece of thorn (we do have blackberries & raspberries). Nothing else came out but it did bleed a little bit. Put the clear iodine on, sprayed blue kote on a piece of gauze and wrapped it up. Should I leave the bandage on or take it off today?

 

[JadeComputerGal]

I'm in the UK about an hour outside of London, I've tried a few local farmers but no luck yet!

I am so greatful I have found you and would love to take you up on your offer of help!

I hatched lots of ducklings when younger with the help of my mum and the incubator has hatched chicks recently so no problem there!

It doesn't have a humidity checker but I don't think this was an issue as the membrane looked wet and healthy when I looked inside!

I've heard calls are really hard to hatch! But I would really like some! I'm going to try and leave the pat as it is now and look forward trying again!

Thanks again!

It's not so much that they're hard to hatch as that they sometimes aren't able to hatch on their own. I don't keep records on which of mine needed hatching help, but fewer than half of mine need help. That's still a lot, though, compared with ducks that have longer bills.

Before you try again, you're going to need some method of accurately monitoring your humidity. Humidity is a huge factor in incubating, and having it too high can cause your babies to literally drown in their egg. That might be a challenge for you if your house doesn't have air conditioning like many of the houses in the UK. It's a lot easier to bring humidity up than to bring it down.

I still think all this is doable. Maybe some of us can help you search for some eggs if you don't come up with anything.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

I exaggerated little, I do get some females, but it seems like I always get way more boys than girls. One small clutch or 6 Muscovies was 5 drakes, one duck, and last year I got abot 75% male peachicks.

I want to see pics of peachicks!!! I love peafowl! I really want to get some once we get our farm, but I can't risk it right now because of the noise.

 

[mattieduck]

It's not so much that they're hard to hatch as that they sometimes aren't able to hatch on their own. I don't keep records on which of mine needed hatching help, but fewer than half of mine need help. That's still a lot, though, compared with ducks that have longer bills.

Before you try again, you're going to need some method of accurately monitoring your humidity. Humidity is a huge factor in incubating, and having it too high can cause your babies to literally drown in their egg. That might be a challenge for youu if your house doesn't have air conditioning like many of the houses in the UK. It's a lot easier to bring humidity up than to bring it down.

I still think all this is doable. Maybe some of us can help you search for some eggs if you don't come up with anything.

Okay! I am going to do this! And I'm going to do it right!

Would something like this be okay?

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=121455838818&globalID=EBAY-GB

I think I could have saved the duckling if I had acted sooner this time but it's so hard to tell and I didn't want to jump in too quick, that's most of the advice I received on the Internet before!

He is perfectly formed from what I can see in the egg and it breaks my heart! But onwards and upwards!!!

I have heard some things around about hatching shipped eggs and there seems to be some steps you can take (like leaving them on there side for 24hrs before incubation) to give them a better chance. In your opinion are these just rumours? I would have thought getting them in the incubator and warm would be best thing to do?

Thank you!