Vitamins & Electrolytes & Lock down Question (Katherine!)

[FunnyBunnies12]

I am the Vitamins plus on G.Q.F on my wish list, but I also have a package of the Vitamins & Electrolytes for poultry, swine, ruminants and horses for the older ducks. Can I also use this stuff for the ducklings when they arrive? Is this the stuff I add to their water 24hrs after hatching? And speaking of hatching when they say 28 days, is that at the start of piping or when they actually hatch out? Because I started incubation for egg #10 on September 12, and I have "Lock down" on my calender set for October 7th. Am I right? That is like day 26 or 27th So really piping can start around October 9 and the duckling could be born October 10 or 11th? I just don't want to stop turning and doing lock down to early or to late. I also started incubation for the 2cd batch on September 20th, so lock down should start on October 16th? BTW~ I candled the 2cd batch because it's been 7 days, and I have 5 out of 8 live babies. The other 3 were DUDS, I cracked them open and none had any veins what so ever and the 5 had very distinct veins. Looks like I have a total of 6 ducklings on the way. I wont' candle obsessively as I was doing, but I needed to know what batch 2 held. Now since I have a small group I should be able to add the older one with the younger once they are born? They should be 1wk a part give or take.

I'm beginning to wonder if I should just start pulling eggs from momma in the igloo for baking/eating now since she's probably got 9-10 in there and still laying. But I do notice she is sitting longer each day but it's continueous. So she isn't broody yet and I don't know as if she will go broody this year. That is ok, thankfully the weather has been very cool since the 2cd batch was laid. I'm reluctant about even using the ones in the igloo this year for food, but am tempted to know how they taste compared to chicken eggs.

Anyways, just wondered about the vitamins the lock down scheduling, and hatching time if I have lock down scheduled right. I'm so excited, but I will behave now it's to close and I don't want to risk doing something devastatingly wrong.

 

[katharinad]

Very often they pip the next day once you start lock down. It's hard to tell when they hatch. It can be day 27 or even day 31. You just have to wait and see. The electrolytes and vitamins you have may be ok, depends on the ingredients. Have it ready to go the moment they hatch. I mix on one quart and keep it in the fridge. Just warm it up a little bit before giving to the ducklings. I usually do that in the microwave and mix with the finger to make sure it is not hot when they get it. You are looking for room temperature. I dip each hatchling's bill into the water the moment they move to the brooder. That gets their intestines started, and it give them a boost from being to exhausted after hatching. Remember not to remove them for 4 hours out of the hatcher so they dry off.
I have the feeling that your duck is not going broody this year, this is very normal and most ducks start the following spring. She is still young and still has some growing up to do. Just think of her as a 12 year old girl who just started a monthly cycle. The mind is not ready yet for raising babies. It's that simple. Quite honest I would start taking the egg and start to cook with them. Perhaps not the eggs that are sitting in the nest right now, but start to collect daily and refrigerate. You can hard boil the other eggs and feed it back to her. She will love the extra protein. Also eggs are easier to work with after one week in the fridge, especially when you plan on hard boiled egg.

 

[FunnyBunnies12]

Actually I think she may be going broody as I type this today. She has 9 eggs out there and she has stayed sitting, and while my son and i were outside talking and watching the dad left went up to our deck and she did not follow, then we offered her peas while she was sitting on the eggs, she didn't leave or anything, but then a few minutes later, she did get up, left went to the pool got a drink, came outside we gave her more peas and my son held her for a few minutes and she started trembling like she was really nervous, and she wanted down, then we put her down and she went immediately back to the trampoline and back to her eggs and is sitting, it wasn't 15min from when she left and she returned to her eggs. This is the 1st time EVER since this whole egg laying process has begun has she ever bothered to go back to lay on her eggs and she hasn't left since. Before once she left, she left and didn't go back until evening. So if she is still on her eggs by 2pm, I think I will take the trampoline netting off and tell the kids and neighbor kids absolutely NO JUMPING until she is done going broody and eggs start hatching. IF they do. I'm going to watch how long she sits today before I consider her broody, if she doesn't move at all any more today other then going to get a drink and then returns, then I will consider her broody and day 1 of incubation. But her behavior so far is very, very promising! Simply for the fact that once she left for a short time, she returned to her eggs, something she hasn't done before. Keeping fingers crossed that it "clicked" and she is going broody.

 

[katharinad]

Has she already laid her egg today? She may still be in the process. Hard to tell what is in their minds. I would not remove the trampoline surface, because it makes her enclosure less secure and it may stress her out. Ducks don't like changes. Just keep the kids out.

 

[FunnyBunnies12]

I think she is done laying, she laid her 8th or 9th egg yesterday, or maybe 9th this morning and usually when she is done laying she comes out and goes about her business and doesn't return. Where as today, she got up, ate a little and drank and went back and still remains on the eggs. Dad isn't even sticking around by her, he's leaving her alone. So I'm thinking positive thoughts. She's never remained on the eggs at this length of time let alone returned to the nest until she has to lay another one the next day. But as you said, who knows what they are thinking. I know when I 1st put my hand in there to offer her peas she puffed herself up until she realized it was me, where as before she didn't, she'd get up and leave.

I will not be removing the trampolines surface, but the safety net around the trampoline where when kids jump and go into it, they won't fall out. But the surface they jump on will not be removed because it will offer protection and shade. That is what I ment by removing the netting.

 

[FunnyBunnies12]

Hi Katherine again, I found my bag of Vitamins & Electrolytes and this is the ingrediants, can I use these? I also ordered the stuff you recommended on G.Q.F, but this is what I have here and giving my ducks, especially my hen right now.

Vit. A Supplement
Vit. D3
Vit. E, Riboflavin
D-Calcium Pantothenate
Niacin
Vit B-12
Medadione Sodium Bisulfite(Source of Vit. K Activity)
Folic Acid
Thiamine Hydrochloride
Ascorbic Acid
Sodium Chloride
Calcium Chloride
Magnesium Sulfate
Ferrous Sulfate
Potassium Chloride and Dextrose

It's in a net wt. 8oz bag (226.8g)

 

[katharinad]

Sounds good, but doesn't state how much of each ingredient. It is missing the probiotics you find in the one from GQF. That is not a problem, but it helps them to get their gut going. You can mix one teaspoon of all natural yogurt into their food mash to achieve the same thing.

 

[FunnyBunnies12]

Sorry, I'm not sure if this helps or what it all means, but here is what it says on the bag per 8oz and Per lbs on the Guaranteed Analysis



Guaranteed Analysis Per 8oz Per lb.

Sodium Min 32 32%
Sodium Max 37 37%
Potassium Min 2.0 2.0%
Vit. A 2,500,000 5,000,000 IU
Vit D3 1,000,000 2,000,000 IU
Vit E 1,000 2,000 IU
Vit B-12 2.5 5.0mg
Riboflavin 750 1,500 Mg
D-Pantothenic 1,250 2,500Mg
Niacin 2,500 5,000Mg
Menadione 1,000 2,000Mg
Folic Acid 65 130Mg
Thiamine Hydrochloride 250 500Mg
Pyridoxine Hydrochloride 250 500Mg
Ascorbic Acid 3,750 7,500Mg

 

[katharinad]

I assume the mixing is 1/4 teaspoon per gallon. This is fine.

 

[FunnyBunnies12]

Ok, I've been giving 2tsp per their 3 gal water container. She's sitting, she's sitting FT