Thread formerly known as Hatch day is today

[Goin Quackrrs]

Congrats! New hatchlings are always fun.
Super tired today, was in the ER all night with hubby. Been a long 4 months of surgeries with him and trying to recover.
Don't know if any of you remember how we had 11 Muscovy dumped here awhile back. Well they dwindled to 6, then one of the twin drakes vanished so we were down to 5. Three drakes and two ducks who all would come sit on the porch and talk to us. The girls would eat from our hands and all 5 would come when called. Night before last they came up late afternoon for their end of day treats and talked away about their days. We woke yesterday to only 1 drake (the largest) left around. No feathers, no signs of predation. He looks lost like he doesn't know what happened to the others. So two drakes and both ducks just vanished over night. The lead drake is back again this morning. He looks so sad, but doesn't want to join the ducks out back. We did find a hidden nest from one of the girls with 14 eggs in it, so we brought them in. Poor lone drake.

4 out of 5 shipped French Toulouse goose eggs are growing. Hopefully all four make it to lockdown and hatch too.

Hope your hubby gets to feeling better soon! Never fun to spend the night in the ER!

 

[Goin Quackrrs]

ok so i just turned again.
and candled bcuz im nosey .
no peeping.
butt he is so deffinately trying to get in that air cell

veiw candling from top of egg.
you can see how big the air cell is


i was lookign for movement and noticed some back by my thumb.
so i moved the light to the side of the egg.
and this is what i see.
hopefully you can see the shadow in the front that i see?

Is that a beak? Looks like it to me...

 

[Goin Quackrrs]

I wish you guys could see the head bobbin' going on with Ancona Girl and Drakey boy. This is the funniest thing!!! I've got to record this and see if I can load it. I'm surprised they don't have tired necks.

And he tried to do his "business" with her outside of the pool. !!!!!! Yay!!! They love each other.

Annnnd they call it... ducky love...

 

[country_girl011]

Is that a beak? Looks like it to me...

yes, hes eagerly pushing against the air cell.
hoping he pips by tomarrow

 

[Goin Quackrrs]

The next blue egg turned up its zipping and is beating the white egg now.

And we moved the babies to the brooder tank:

Aww! Those little duckies look big to me. Either way, they're durn cute!

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

yes, hes eagerly pushing against the air cell.
hoping he pips by tomarrow

So he's still working at it? They're so SLOW!

 

[Goin Quackrrs]

Is eddie a boy or a girl? How old is he now?
Hey I found out a way to sex baby ducks without venting them! Hold them upside down by there legs, and if it trys to get up, its a boy, but if it hangs there like it doesnt care, its a girl. Yiu should try it. I hear it works great!
But if it doesnt dont come crying to me

I'll try it and see if it works. But I suspect they'll all struggle. Only chickens relax when held upside down.

Of course, I won't have any ducklings to try it on for a while yet.

Already reserved another batch of duck eggs from work. Also, it looks like the geese are laying! Should I... ?

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

OK this is really dumb.. but do you guys ever KNOW a chick is a goner but you could SWEAR you see it move? My eyes are doing weird things to me right now.

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

Um... look who you're askin' here. LOL.

I'll try it and see if it works. But I suspect they'll all struggle. Only chickens relax when held upside down.

Of course, I won't have any ducklings to try it on for a while yet.

Already reserved another batch of duck eggs from work. Also, it looks like the geese are laying! Should I... ?

 

[Goin Quackrrs]

At the risk of killing everyone today for so many pictures... this is my 19 day old ancona. Remember how it was solid yellow when it hatched?

You can't kill me with duckie pics! Might slow me down a bit, but that's all.