UPDATE! THEY ARE HATCHING!!!! Live NEST CAM link for my Muscovy hen

[kitkatbahr]

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Yes, the part we are using is free. There is an enhanced version you can buy too, but the free one does quite a bit.

 

[kitkatbahr]

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Yes, I have food and water right outside the hutch for the babies. She has had them out most of the day today. They played in their water pan, ate a good bit of their non-medicated chick feed. They are doing well.

Last night we decided to take the eggs from the nest. She had quit sitting on them and they were getting cold. When she was in there, she only sat on parts of them and didn't cover them as diligently as before. We carefully removed them from the nest (she let us, no problem), checked them with a stethoscope. Didn't hear anything at all. Checked them all several times. Anyway, we brought them in and put them in an incubator, just in case. There is no activity at all with them. No pipping, no movement, no peeping, nothing. And, they are starting to really stink.

We believe that part of the problem is that these are her very first eggs. She is young (just a year old) and only started laying this spring. She had 5 hidden in the nest under the hutch before I even knew she was laying. Once she got 17 in there, she started sitting on them. So, they truly were the first eggs from day 1. I don't think all of them were fertile. Rocky was in with her the whole time, but he is young too, the same age as her. I only ever saw him mate her one time, and that was toward the end before she started sitting. My pekins, on the other hand, don't do much of anything else but mate all day long. LOL

I am very glad that these two little ones hatched. I am definitely going to let her try again, as soon as she is ready and wants to and the babies don't need her anymore. She has been an extremely good mama especially for her first time. I am very impressed with her. She is protective of the babies too and keeps them close to her.

 

[keeperofthehearth]

Glad she is being a good Scovy momma.

I have 5 hens and a bunch of ducklings so I get a lot of enjoyment watching momma's with their babies. Our drake, Jason, has been very good and not too aggressive. It is so fun to watch them all walking around foraging as a family with Jason leading the way.