Utah!

[Cynthia12]

The troubled egg is still doing OK. It hasn't pipped it's own hole yet but it is moving. Not much progress in the other pipped eggs and no new pips, but hatch day is technically tomorrow and all the duck folk say it's totally normal for 24-48 hours from pip to hatch. Like Iain said, it takes ducklings a much longer time to hatch than chicks....so Sierra and I are sitting on our hands and trying to find stuff to keep us occupied!

have you tried pulling more shell away? Usually once you have helped a little, it will need more help. Just chip more away slowly. Free it's head and wing area.

 

[Sphinx]

Hattie, we spent our anniversary last year in Zion. We stayed at a hotel in St George, and then went into the park each day. It was so much fun! I took some amazing pictures there. My kids are furious we didn't take them, so we're contemplating a trip down there before summer's over. I think we'll wait til the state isn't on fire though- I saw that I-15 was closed for a bit down there.

Sasha, I wish the troubled egg would hatch already so I'd quit worrying about it.

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

Good morning chicken friends!!!:cd
Last summer we stayed in St Geo, went to Zion one day, Bryce on day, and Las Vegas for a day Wanted to go to Lake Mead, never made it, any body been there? Is it worth a visit? I=Being my OCD self I had this minute to minute itinerary that was packed, we did not have time for diversions......We saw a couple other landmarks in between, cannot remember the names....Cedar Breaks maybe? and another one...Boy it was fun, I want to go back too! There was a little outdoor ampitheather up in the hills above St Geo, they were showing Little Mermaid, we did not make that either and my DH wanted to go to a show there, so next time that is on our list I think we will go back in the off months though, it was107 while we were there, so hot! My kids want to move to St Geo. I would love love love the winters......and hanging out with Hattie lol!

How are those eggs Sasha? Cannot wait to see baby duck pics, do not get those around here much! Excited!!

Anydody gotten any eggs yet? By Australorp was sitting in the nest a few minutes ago then jumped out! Any day..... Cynthia how's that NH doing?

 

[happy2bhere]

Well, it's official. I'm going on the chicken coop tour on Saturday and I can't wait!

I was pleasantly surprised that my husband is actually going to go with me. He is the best husband ever but not as in to chickens as I am. He is pretty much perfect except for that one minor flaw. Hopefully he will see some cute chicken coops and get excited about building one for me. I can always dream..............
Is anyone else going?

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for your little ducks Sasha. I am quite fond the little buggers. My husband and I and a couple of friends take grain down to the to the 30 - 40 ducks and geese in the park during the winter because our city won't feed them. The city officials say that if they don't give them food then they will fly away. They don't seem to realize that there is a difference between domestic and wild birds. They can't even walk away because the city has fenced in the area that they live in and the park is in the middle of a bunch of subdivisions and busy roads. During the summer they get plenty of food from people giving them bread when they go to the park but during the winter there is nothing. My friend went to the city to see if they would help with the cost (it gets pretty expensive) but they got angry and told us we weren't allowed to feed them either. Dorks!

I guess the city would eventually figure it out when people started complaining about all of the dead ducks in the fence at the park but I can't live with that.

 

[Sphinx]

I'm considering going on the tour. Nobody in my family is very interested in chickens at all though, so I couldn't have any of them come along. A girlfriend mentioned it; if she brings it up again, I think I'll go with her.

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

Sounds fun! if we were not packing/preparing to leave, I would come down and go with ya Sphinx Hope you guys have fun, if you can get pics would love to see! Is the smoke any better down there today? I sure hope so! I am seeing it up here in Logan, in the evening especially.

 

[SashaT]

Update on the ducklings! They are taking F-O-R-E-V-E-R to hatch. Since it had been 36 hours for a few of them since they pipped, with no progress, we helped those few. Picked away some of the shell they had broken, but was still kinda there. Pulled away some of the membrane. I still see a tiny bit of blood left in a couple of them, so I didn't dare do more than what they had loosend. I did nick one baby's blood supply...didn't see it at all until it started bleeding. OH. MY. GOSH. I don't ever want to do that again. Bleeding stopped fairly quickly but poor Sierra about lost it. That baby is doing OK.
As for the baby that pipped the wrong end, she hadn't made any progress since I had made a hole for her beak yesterday, so I flaked away a little more shell and outer membrane, and saw little tiny veins with a little blood still, so spritzed her and put her back. Here's a picture of the upside down baby, and a (slowly) zipping baby next to her. (Yes, my daughter used a single heart, and a double heart to mark the eggs instead of X's and O's. She's so cute.

)


They sure are talkative little things, and respond to us every time we talk to them.

We are able to see into the holes and see that most of them are not the typical black and white Anconas. Looks like we have a chocolate and a couple lavendar or blues.

Haha-the baby that is trying to zip just got a little frustrated and started screaming it's little head off. Non-stop! Too funny. One keeps sticking it's bill out and nibbling on the egg, one baby keeps doing that little lower lip quiver thing that ducks do....it's fun to see some personalities coming alive through just watching their little bills!

 

[auntie hattie]

Everyone come on down! If any of you come to St..George I will be expecting you will give me a holler! It is very hot here in the summer. I just went and purchased a second mister for the girls. It gets brutal outside.
I would love to go on that coop tour! Sounds so fun. If only I was going to be up the way on Saturday. Happy2bhere take pictures if they will let you. It would be fun to see.
Lisa have so much fun on your trip. Can't remember if you have family there that you are going to see or just going there because it is a beautiful place to vacation. Whatever the reason have so much fun . Is Voilet going on this trip too? I'm really loving these new babies of yours and Sasha's. I'm getting good cuddles with them. I'll try not to get to attached .
I got some free apricots so I will be making lots of jam,dried apricots,fruit leather and what ever I can think of to use apricots in today. Plus my daughter and two grandson are coming for a visit! Should be a fun day. enjoy your day everyone!

 

[auntie hattie]

Sasha that sounds so stressful! 36 hours. It sounds like my labors with my children. I can't wait the see these little ones. I love the idea of marking the eggs with hearts instead of x's and o's. Hope I remember next time I incubate. I have put my incubators up for now but still have caught myself looking at hatching eggs. :/ I will be waiting to see cute little duckling pictures.

 

[Iain Utah]

Sasha, sounds like things are going well. I have a cayuga that I named Molasses because it took 60 hours to assist hatching him. They take FOREVER. The nibbling is them eating the membrane while their yolks and blood in the membranes slowly absorb into their body. That always takes a solid 24 hours. Then, when they zip, they will tuck heads into shell to rotate and start spasming with their wings and backs. Zipping usually takes about an hour.