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

[Jen1979]

Yay another duckling! Sorry to hear about the crushed egg.

Thanks Lyss Yes I'm not sure what happened there and the other yucky looking one maybe died trying to get out, I'm not sure...

I don't feel I've done very well by the duckies this time, maybe I should have been removing eggs that were bad earlier, but I was so unsure of what I was looking for

But am so happy to have a little duckling sibling for the first baby. They are 6 days apart!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks so much @Miss Lydia and @Lacrystol

Ok, I went in there with a big long sleeve shirt on and picked up the first Mumma, put her out with the others (she looks quite relieved to be out swimming etc actually) and candled her eggs - they're all bad. The crushed one shows no signs of life and smells. I have left her out playing with the others - let me know if you think that's the right thing to do.

Next grabbed a few eggs from around the other girl (one was horrible, she'll pretty much gone but membrane all squashed, smells and definitely not alive. Went to pick mumma up - though it was off she wasn't striking at me like usual but still pretty upset, and..........out pops....

That is awesome so now you have one new hatchling? Hows it doing? So glad to hear you got the other mom out and she is happy and nasty eggs are out. I'd say you did the right thing in getting the one mom out. Keep an eye on the oldest that it doesn't pick on the baby it will take a few days for it to get it's legs under it. Congratulations!!

 

[Jen1979]

Yep one new hatchling I think it's only just hatched this morning or last night so it's still a bit wet looking. When I went back out to check on them the new baby was all the way under mum while the older one was sitting next to her happily.

Hopefully tonight the new bub will have dried out, recovered and be looking good!!

 

[Lacrystol]

Aweeee so some good news with bad.. Lol

 

[Lacrystol]

Nice job and it's a very good thing you got the other one out because she would have probably tossed those kids around trying to steal them and in the long run end up hurting them. Woooo hoooooo lol

 

[Jen1979]

Thanks Lacrystol I'm so glad I did the right thing taking the other mumma out. Phew.

There are still a couple of eggs under the mum with the babies but I didn't want to move her too much when this baby had just hatched incase she hurt it... I'll try and check those tomorrow morning or tonight..

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yep one new hatchling

I think it's only just hatched this morning or last night so it's still a bit wet looking. When I went back out to check on them the new baby was all the way under mum while the onset one was sitting next to her happily.

Hopefully tonight the new bub will have dried out, recovered and be looking good!!

Hope so too keep us updated.

 

[Jen1979]

New little one is all fluffed up and looking good I did see his mum push him over at one stage when he was up having something to eat and she was rearranging her eggs so that worried me a bit, but she did let him snuggle back underneath her... I'm paranoid she's going to reject him.

The girl I had to take out of the enclosure is going right off. Poor thing is hanging around quacking her head off near the enclosure and doesn't want to free range with the other ducks now. Will she just calm down after a while? I feel so bad for her but I know I can't let her back in.

Here's both ducklings with the new little one fluffed up

 

[Miss Lydia]

New little one is all fluffed up and looking good

I did see his mum push him over at one stage when he was up having something to eat and she was rearranging her eggs so that worried me a bit, but she did let him snuggle back underneath her... I'm paranoid she's going to reject him.

The girl I had to take out of the enclosure is going right off. Poor thing is hanging around quacking her head off near the enclosure and doesn't want to free range with the other ducks now. Will she just calm down after a while? I feel so bad for her but I know I can't let her back in.

Here's both ducklings with the new little one fluffed up

Baby looks great and I don't think you could get any more precious than that, unless of course more hatch. Can you see if any more have pipped? i wouldn't let her back in she'll get over it, I know it's hard but you have to do whats best for the ducklings and they don't need to full size ducks in there tromping all over them.

 

[Jen1979]

Thanks @Miss Lydia

My new main concern is that I've now watched mum duck push the new baby away several times. If it approaches her from the front, she pushes it quite hard so the little one falls over. If it gets around the back of her she allows it to get under her though. At the moment both babies are snuggled under her.

I'm terrified she's going to push the new one away in the night though. It's summer here and warm, but it's only one day old so might not make it if that happened

I'm wondering if she's stressed because of the other mumma duck quacking constantly at her. I don't know what to do, I don't have a brooder set up so I'm reluctant to bring the ducklings inside... And of I bought both of them in I don't know if the older one would pick on the little one anyway. I considered bringing the ducklings and the mum in but I don't know if that would disrupt them again and she'd reject him anyway!

It's dark here now and all ducks have quietened down...I'm worried about the morning before I get up and tomorrow when I'm at work though.

I don't know what to to and I'm so scared that once again I'm going to make the wrong decision and cost a duckling it's life