Thread formerly known as Hatch day is today

[Goin Quackrrs]

I know! We all trooped out and peered at her and her giant flock of speckled yellow ducklings from around bushes and trees all morning. We were probably funnier to watch than she was. And if anyone came to close, I fussed at them before mama did. LOL.

I need photos! I don't have enough fuzzies in my life at the moment!

 

[psue]

Well, today my lone Ancona girl (still have 3 boys) came off her nest with 11 baby Anconas!!! She's doing just amazing too, she's an excellent mama duck. Only one egg didn't hatch, so she's a way better incubator than I am for sure!! Tough to top 11 of 12.

Still waiting for the last goosies to come off their nests.

congrads!

 

[ducklover1994]

My dad tried incubating some eggs from someone else who promised the eggs to be fertile (They were Indian Runners) and he borrowed an incubator from a friend. Over a month later no babies )=

 

[Marty1876]

Hey everyone! Its so good to be back!!! I'm so glad school is out, and things are clean, and I'm free!

So they updates for our place are:
We have a baby buff (big shock) come off the nest with a sebbie girl. There was a buff girl in with them for a couple of days while we worked on fences, and I can only conclude she just laid in the sebbie nest. She sat on 4 eggs and hatched two. I still have one other sebbe and the African girls sharing a nest. I'm anxious to see how that turns out.

I've turned off my incubators, having hatched out several goslings (including 4 more Africans we're keeping) mottled java chicks, midget white turkeys, and I have a passel of lavender orphingtons about half grown now. They are delightful!

Our garden are growing well, and today we ate salad all from the garden. If the rain continues to come now and then, we might get to enjoy the lettuce awhile. I was also surprised this year to discover that my broccoli was actually cauliflower. Oh well, gardening is always an adventure.

How is everyone?

 

[angiert]

It's hatching apocalypse week here. Got home to a couple early birds. A pekin and a chick surfing on the egg turner. They were due to lockdown Wednesday.

So I madly rearranged eggs, ending up with about 20 eggs in the cabinet and everything else locked down early... just in case.

I only have one appreciable hatch left for a while. Bators are getting empty. I don't know what to do with myself. I'm tempted to drive across the county and hit the little farm store that may have some refrigerated, but fertile duck eggs...

junkie lol

 

[qwackers]

Hey everyone!  Its so good to be back!!!  I'm so glad school is out, and things are clean, and I'm free! 

So they updates for our place are:
We have a baby buff (big shock) come off the nest with a sebbie girl.  There was a buff girl in with them for a couple of days while we worked on fences, and I can only conclude she just laid in the sebbie nest.   She sat on 4 eggs and hatched two.  I still have one other sebbe and the African girls sharing a nest.  I'm anxious to see how that turns out. 

I've turned off my incubators, having hatched out several goslings (including 4 more Africans we're keeping) mottled java chicks, midget white turkeys, and I have a passel of lavender orphingtons about half grown now.  They are delightful!

Our garden are growing well, and today we ate salad all from the garden.  If the rain continues to come now and then, we might get to enjoy the lettuce awhile.  I was also surprised this year to discover that my broccoli was actually cauliflower.    Oh well, gardening is always an adventure.

How is everyone?

Ou congrats on the babies and the salad. Nothing better than home grown! Can't wait until my potatoes and onions are done. The potatoes are so different to shop ones. All good over the pond thanks, getting over my step sons birthday sleepover - never again!

 

[Goin Quackrrs]

junkie lol

Yup. That's me. Glad this is a support group.


I have an important announcement: I have a Saxony baby! Finally!

 

[geezlouise]

Hey guys! I am from texas and we don't do ducks or geese much. What do you do with them? they don't lay eggs you can eat; do they? I just put some chicken eggs in my hovenator incubator. I have been getting about a 50% hatch rate but the best thing is they hatch in 21 days so I can have my grandkids and my sister's grandkids over to see them hatch. They mauled the last batch of 8 chick but they all made it and are doing great. Want to try some different type of chickens. Do I have to order the eggs? Does that work? Which breeds lay bigger eggs? Newbie. Geezlouise

 

[psue]

Hey guys! I am from texas and we don't do ducks or geese much. What do you do with them? they don't lay eggs you can eat; do they? I just put some chicken eggs in my hovenator incubator. I have been getting about a 50% hatch rate but the best thing is they hatch in 21 days so I can have my grandkids and my sister's grandkids over to see them hatch. They mauled the last batch of 8 chick but they all made it and are doing great. Want to try some different type of chickens. Do I have to order the eggs? Does that work? Which breeds lay bigger eggs? Newbie. Geezlouise

You can eat eggs from ducks and geese. In fact most place list duck eggs as more nutritious then chicken eggs. Duck and goose also provide good meat on the table if cook correctly. Personally I don't know much about chicken breeds.. only the 3 I own.

 

[Marty1876]

Hey guys! I am from texas and we don't do ducks or geese much. What do you do with them? they don't lay eggs you can eat; do they? I just put some chicken eggs in my hovenator incubator. I have been getting about a 50% hatch rate but the best thing is they hatch in 21 days so I can have my grandkids and my sister's grandkids over to see them hatch. They mauled the last batch of 8 chick but they all made it and are doing great. Want to try some different type of chickens. Do I have to order the eggs? Does that work? Which breeds lay bigger eggs? Newbie. Geezlouise

I keep more ducks and geese than chickens, so far. LOL. Duck and goose eggs are INDEED edible. Duck eggs absolutely are proven to have higher protein, and also to make baked goods rise higher. Ducks eggs tend to be more valuable, especially in specialty Asian markets. The adventurous will even do custom incubating for certain Asian delicacies. Duck and goose fertile pure hatching eggs from better stock are worth more than most chicken hatching eggs (except the very most common ducks). Goose eggs are best in baked dishes, like quiche. Their firmer texture lends itself well to vertical egg dishes, and their slightly higher fat content readily absorbs flavors and lends special richness to foods. Ducks can outlay chickens (some ducks) and have a much longer egg laying life. Ducks fed like layer chickens have eggs that taste almost exactly the same, fyi.

Ducks and geese are both valuable gardeners. Ducks don't peck holes in tomatoes (unlike chickens) but they will eat strawberries. Ducks love and appreciate snails and slugs and poptato bugs and any form of beetle, moth, and caterpillar. If you suffer from squash vine borers, keep two ducks I the squash area may and june to help prevents moths having time to land and lay eggs in the early morning (when the ducks are awake and watchful).

Geese are great weeders (but they will eat more greens than ducks in your garden) and excellent "green" lawnmowers. 20 geese will keep 1 acre neat and tidy. They also feed while they weed, so keep them out of kid play areas and off pavement and rocks to avoid "visuals & interaction" with the fertilizer process.