We had ducklings hatch today! One very exhausted - advice appreciated! :)

[Lyss]

Yeah Pekins are supposed to be bad sitters as well. My Pekin definitely got her memo lol. Not interested at all.

 

[Jen1979]

Yeah Pekins are supposed to be bad sitters as well. My Pekin definitely got her memo lol. Not interested at all.

LOL oh no! Well one of mine is not exactly mother of the year. (She's the one who is now banished from the hatching area!). She thinks motherhood basically consists of pulling a few bits of straw around the place to make some sort of nest, then taking off for a 5 hour free-range and swim while completely ignoring the eggs. She most definitely did it all at her convenience! If it wasn't for the other 2 none of the eggs would have survived I'm sure!

 

[Lyss]

Haha she must not like that kind of commitment. Its good your other girls where happy to share their eggs. Any more movement or peeps underneath them?

 

[Jen1979]

Haha she must not like that kind of commitment. Its good your other girls where happy to share their eggs. Any more movement or peeps underneath them?

I didn't see any more movement this morning, I tried to listen for peeps and swiftly realised just how many birds were peeping, calling and chirping all around the yard! Arggg, I couldn't hear myself think, not about a tiny duckling peep! lol. I'm at work now so my husband is on duckling duty - under threat of death if he doesn't call me immediately if there are any developments

 

[Miss Lydia]

I didn't see any more movement this morning, I tried to listen for peeps and swiftly realised just how many birds were peeping, calling and chirping all around the yard! Arggg, I couldn't hear myself think, not about a tiny duckling peep! lol. I'm at work now so my husband is on duckling duty - under threat of death if he doesn't call me immediately if there are any developments

It can drive you nuts waiting. and that pic is precious. Keep us updated, but unless they kept laying when they started sitting I'd say you might ought to scoot those girls out and have a look and listen. Usually one of the other will get up and take baby outside for first walk about by now. Start the lesson so to speak.

 

[Lacrystol]

I don't have much experience hatching ducklings, but in my experience they do need a little time to catch their breath after hatching. This one looks pooped though. @Lacrystol ?

Good lord where the heck have I been!!!!....

 

[Lacrystol]

Thanks all! Sorry I didn't reply sooner, I'm in Australia, so time difference and all

The little one has perked right up now! Looking much better!


The only worry we have now is as 3 girls are pretty much sharing one giant nest, 2 of the girls are completely fine together, 1 of them however keeps trying to push another out of the way and they end up sitting ontop of each other. We're worried she'll step all over the ducklings and hurt them.

She's been the least committed to the nest of all so we tried putting her and our male out into another section where they could see them but not get to them while the other 2 took care of them. That worked for a few hours, but when it came close to bedtime she freaked right out. Kept throwing herself at the door of the enclosure and screaming

So we let them all back in together. Hoping it goes ok because were not really sure what the right thing is to do there!

OMG, look how tiny that little guy is.

 

[Lacrystol]

Thanks all! Sorry I didn't reply sooner, I'm in Australia, so time difference and all

The little one has perked right up now! Looking much better!


The only worry we have now is as 3 girls are pretty much sharing one giant nest, 2 of the girls are completely fine together, 1 of them however keeps trying to push another out of the way and they end up sitting ontop of each other. We're worried she'll step all over the ducklings and hurt them.

She's been the least committed to the nest of all so we tried putting her and our male out into another section where they could see them but not get to them while the other 2 took care of them. That worked for a few hours, but when it came close to bedtime she freaked right out. Kept throwing herself at the door of the enclosure and screaming

So we let them all back in together. Hoping it goes ok because were not really sure what the right thing is to do there!

That is something to be concerned about!!

 

[Lacrystol]

Ok I think I made a bad decision

The little weaker one was dead in the nest this morning. I don't know what happened, but it looks like at some time in the night one of the ducks removed a bad egg from the best - this little one was found next to it. He doesn't look at all injured but maybe he got trampled..

. So devastated. My decision to let the other mum back in last night might have been what killed him

I've now chucked her out again with our male. The other baby is doing really well so far. No more hatched as yet.

OH NO, I wonder if he got pushed out as well, they need that body heat from mommy..

 

[Lacrystol]

Thanks Orca <3

The Mum that caused the issue has now been put out with our male. They have been freeranging some of the day happily, now she has started creating another nest of her own in the old kennel they used to sleep in. I guess I just leave her to it since she must still be broody? I feel bad for her. And I feel bad for the other mums who now only have one duckling between them. The duckling goes between both of them but mainly stays with our girl Coco. Our other girl Princess is still sitting tight on her nest, I really do hope she hatches at least one baby for herself

Aweee, that other mummy will show those two girls how's things are done around here. She sounds like she's the Boss..