Hello fellow Washintonians! I didn't have any luck getting a reply to my post in the duck group, but I'm really in need of some advice and hoping one of you can maybe help... Here is most of my other post, with some edits since it's now the end of the day and the house is as hot as it's going to get.
We've had a pair ducks for a few years, but this is the first time we've let Lady Duck go broody (it was sorta by accident). The short version of this painful experience is that we've lost the eggs one by one until now when there is only one live egg left. I have pulled three dead, trampled, nearly hatched ducklings out of the nest in the past couple of days and I feel like I have to give this one a chance since she doesn't seem to know what to do when they start to come out. I *really* wanted to let her just do her thing and not interfere - we didn't even candle them or touch them the past 3 1/2 weeks - only peeked in when she got up for a snack and bath.
The duckling is pipping.
We don't have any of the right equipment, so right now I have it in my tiny "greenhouse" that I use for starting seeds with a heating pad under the glass and the egg on top of a damp kitchen towel. The thermometer/hydrometer reads 80 degrees/90% humidity. The egg feels slightly cooler than when I pulled it out of the nest, but I can still hear/feel tap-tap-tapping. I turned the heating pad up one click. There hasn't been much visible progress during the day, though. I've not messed with it at all, other than to just lift it to feel the temperature a few minutes ago and to listen for taps. Since the heating pad auto-shuts off I'm going to turn on the heated floor in the laundry room to keep it warm over night. I didn't want it running all day, though. I should probably do that now so it'll stabilize before we go to bed.
Did I do the right thing?? I put two chicken eggs (from the store) in the nest when I took out this egg this morning, so she is still sitting. I can probably put this one back. My hope is that I can sneak the hatched duck back in there for her to raise if it makes it. Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Wendi
We've had a pair ducks for a few years, but this is the first time we've let Lady Duck go broody (it was sorta by accident). The short version of this painful experience is that we've lost the eggs one by one until now when there is only one live egg left. I have pulled three dead, trampled, nearly hatched ducklings out of the nest in the past couple of days and I feel like I have to give this one a chance since she doesn't seem to know what to do when they start to come out. I *really* wanted to let her just do her thing and not interfere - we didn't even candle them or touch them the past 3 1/2 weeks - only peeked in when she got up for a snack and bath.
The duckling is pipping.
We don't have any of the right equipment, so right now I have it in my tiny "greenhouse" that I use for starting seeds with a heating pad under the glass and the egg on top of a damp kitchen towel. The thermometer/hydrometer reads 80 degrees/90% humidity. The egg feels slightly cooler than when I pulled it out of the nest, but I can still hear/feel tap-tap-tapping. I turned the heating pad up one click. There hasn't been much visible progress during the day, though. I've not messed with it at all, other than to just lift it to feel the temperature a few minutes ago and to listen for taps. Since the heating pad auto-shuts off I'm going to turn on the heated floor in the laundry room to keep it warm over night. I didn't want it running all day, though. I should probably do that now so it'll stabilize before we go to bed.
Did I do the right thing?? I put two chicken eggs (from the store) in the nest when I took out this egg this morning, so she is still sitting. I can probably put this one back. My hope is that I can sneak the hatched duck back in there for her to raise if it makes it. Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Wendi
