What to do when ducklings first hatch?

[Miss Lydia]

Update on 10 duck eggs in lockdown. 5 hatched... YA! They are all doing well. And, 2 went to a new home today...

So precious Congrats!!!

 

[CyndiD]

They all hatched! and I love them. I learned so much in a short time, about life, the universe and everything. Sounds odd, but true. I'm so happy to have this experience. It's wonderful seeing how animals are as parents when left to their own natural devices. 

Now I have to figure out how I'm going to manage my flock. I have mallards and muscovies. Apparently not the best for cross-breeding, infertility etc. Both populations are going to grow this year and intermingle. How do I keep parents from impregnating kids? I'm not very excited about maintaining two separate flocks. 

and, now to get the muscovies laying....

what is the etiquette for asking questions on byc? do I just find a likely title for a thread and dive in? or start a new one? my answers don't always come up in the search box...

so many questions! 

YA! I am so excited for you, I can relate, ALL of us can. I hear you on the seperating and cross breeding delema (sp?). I have 5 drakes and 11 hens (3 different breeds) they were all free ranging together and cross breeding. Now I have fencing up and I can let the ducks out to free range and the drakes are in a seperate pen area, then I do the opposite the next day or 2. and when I do want them to breed I put them in the same pen together or free range together. Hope this makes sense? Hope this helps you. It was a little difficult at first trying to figure out how to put the fencing up so I could open one gate or another and have the ducks walk to a designated pen area. But it is working for now. My ducks don't fly so I only have 3" high 4"x6" fencing. I don't know if your ducks can fly? Take care and again your babies are simply Adorable...

 

[CyndiD]

Try not to be too upset if it doesn't happen this time around. If your ducks are mating, it will happen, and then you will have lots of ducklings running around.
I started with a full bator (36 eggs) and have been discarding the non-fertile and the deceased embryos. I get sad, but then I think why, was it me, the bator, the room, the ducks.... etc. It is just nature and I am ok with it. I certainly didn't want 36 ducklings but I knew that all of them wouldn't make it. I will post pics when they hatch. Healthy hatching to you and your mallard ducky...

This is one of the ducklings that my f/w/ Runners (2) are hatching.
One has hatched so far. She hatched Sunday night. There is one more pipping and will hatch later this morning... and there are many more just a day or 3 away.

 

[Miss Lydia]

This is one of the ducklings that my f/w/ Runners (2) are hatching.
One has hatched so far. She hatched Sunday night. There is one more pipping and will hatch later this morning... and there are many more just a day or 3 away.

don't you just want to pick it up and kiss it's lips.. @Julie Bird and anyone else?? lol

 

[Julie Birb]

  don't you just want to pick it up and kiss it's lips.. @Julie Bird
   and anyone else?? lol

EEEEEEEEEEEEEE OMYGOSH YES. I do. Look at little innocent faced baby birb. I bet his webs are tiny. He is a baby duck after all. Thank you for the tag Miss Lydia!!

 

[Julie Birb]

Ducky and her babies, photographed by our friend Lisa.

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE AWESOME AND TOO CUTE AND I AM IN LOVE.

 

[Miss Lydia]

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE AWESOME AND TOO CUTE AND I AM IN LOVE.

X2!!

 

[Orca5094]

This is one of the ducklings that my f/w/ Runners (2) are hatching.
One has hatched so far. She hatched Sunday night. There is one more pipping and will hatch later this morning... and there are many more just a day or 3 away.

Omg, can't handle the CUTE! <3

 

[CyndiD]

ND THEN THERE WERE 3

 

[CyndiD]

  don't you just want to pick it up and kiss it's lips.. @Julie Bird
   and anyone else?? lol

Yes, so cute. kiss, kiss, kiss

and then there were 3