Welsh Harlequins hatching....but an odd duckling (pix)

[OzarkCountryGirl]

Four have hatched out, and the remaining four are pipped, with one starting to zip. But of the four already out, I have one that is really dark, and has what looks to be a small white crest...it's not just an optical illusion, the white actually does stand up taller than the rest! All of these eggs came directly from my Welsh Harlequin drake and duck...no other duck varieties anywhere around, and I personally gathered her eggs as each was laid every day so I know there were no mix ups. Has anyone ever experienced something like this before?

Sorry the pictures are so big. I'm having trouble with the sizing for some reason.

 

[cw]

i dont know but they sure are cute

 

[chicktwit]

That baby's really giving you a look isn't it? They are so cute!!! Any chance one of the parents is not pure welsh?

 

[pardygwyn]

That'd be my first question, too. Really neat fluke, though!

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

Parents both look full, and were purchased as such with no crosses. The previous hatch turned out all looking like WHs, but this one sure has me stumped.

But the children already love him and have named him Dreidel.

 

[Dances with Ducks]

Holderread estimated that the crested mutation occurs spontaneously in about one in a million ducklings. Looks like this one also has some color mutations as well!! Please keep posting pics as this one grows, I will be so curious to see what it looks like as an adult!!

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

He's got character, that's for sure and has already been getting into trouble. I made a waterer out of a milk jug, making a small hole in the side for them to drink from, and he's the only one that has managed to squeeze himself through the hole and paddle around in the water. I had to cut the top out of the jug to get him out. So I took another jug and made a much smaller hole. He managed to get himself in that one as well, albeit after much wiggling and pushing. I cut the top out of that jug, too, but just continue to use it. At least with the top out of it I can rescue him if he gets in it again. The thing is, he doesn't seem to want to get out of it.

But then the water isn't cold, and not deep (just barely an inch deep) and he doesn't shiver or act like he's cold in the least. But I still don't want to take any chances. Every time I get him out of the water and hold him close, he nibbles at my neck and softly peeps...he's working on being a heart breaker that's for sure, no matter how ugly he turns out.

I'll post pictures of him as he grows...I don't mind saying I'm more than a bit curious as to see what he ends up looking like myself.

BTW, the last of the ducklings hatched out at 7:50 pm (CST), giving us a 100% success rate for this hatch!

The temp in the incubator fluctuated from about 98.5-100.5°F (of course it would always drop below 96°F whenever I opened the lid), but never over 101.5°F. The eggs were hand-turned a minimum of 3 times per day up until the 20th day when I stopped turning them, and the humidity staying between 60-70% from days 1-21, with a bump up to 72% the last two days. I'm already looking forward to my next batch...

 

[pardygwyn]

Sounds like a great hatch! Congrats!