Who's Hatching Ducks? Hatch With Us!! *Page 3*

[Sebrightmom]

Five of my cayuga eggs hatched this weekend. I got these eggs from Boggy Bottom Bantams. They are so cute. I wanted to share pictures of them.

 

[1lpoock]

There are only two there that are cayugas....the other ones look like 2 swedish ducks and 1 muscovy or pekin..or maybe they were just from a cayuga that cross bred with something else...but they sure aren't all cayugas.

They are really cute though!!!

 

[TheDuckCrew]

hey everybody, i have a question.
i have 13 pekin eggs in the bator and last night was day 25 so they were set up for their final few days, but i'm worried. i candled them and they didn't look as large as i thought they should. should i keep turning them and everything until they are the right size, or just keep them going with their final days? i'm afraid, these eggs are really really special

 

[hippiehen]

I'm hatching ducks... or rather, my duck is hatching ducks! She's been on the nest 5 days now!!

Her name is Quatro, she's one of my magpies. I can't wait!

 

[Sebrightmom]

They are all suppose to be cayugas. THere are two blues, two blacks, and one silver. There are all so sweet.

 

[ShadyGlade]

Those are beautiful Cayugas Sebrightmom. A lot of folks just haven't seen the non-standard colors of Cayugas yet. I think that they are still pretty rare.

 

[ryple]

SundownWaterfowl wrote:
This is what I wrote about helping ducks hatch. I wrote it for call ducklings, but basically this is how you help any duckling out.

Once the duckling pips through the air sac, I wait around 14-18 hours, and if there is no pip through the shell, I make a small hole in the large end of the egg so that the duckling can breathe. The air hitting the membrane also stimulates the yolk sac to absorb, and the veins to dry up.
Then I wait another 6-12 hours. If I hear the peeping of the duckling starting to slow down, or not pip as vigorously as it was, then I will help earlier. Then I slowly, using my fingernail or a toothpick, start to break off the large end of the egg. If you see any bright red blood, STOP. Put the duckling back into the incubator, and wait 3-4 hours before starting up again. Once you get the large end of the egg off, you will be able to see the membrane. If it looks rubbery and white, then take some q-tips soaked in warm water, and wet the membrane down. If the veins in the membrane look full with blood, put the duckling back, and wait another 3 hours. Keep repeating until the veins are almost all empty.
Once the veins are mostly gone, I proceed to slowly stretch the membrane over the egg, so that the duckling is free from the membrane. Then I slowly, and gently, take the ducklings head and pop it out of the shell. Then I stick the duckling, still in the shell, back into the incubator, for him to finish the hatching process himself.
Sometimes this is necessary, especially with show quality call ducklings. Since the ducklings have short necks, large round heads, and tiny beaks, sometimes the only thing that they can do is break the air sac, and then they need help getting the rest of the way out.


Also, when I help call ducklings hatch, I add some vitamins and electrolytes to their water for the first 2 or 3 days.

End quote

Okay, here's what I did. When I would candle my eggs, (5 silky duck eggs, damaged air cells in shipping are on day 25 1/2. I had one DIS already, 2 days ago) they would push up with their beaks and the membrane would 'tent' up, then fall back down. It seemed tough to me.
I opened the large end and saw that the membrane was tough and white. I put a little hole in it where the bill was. There was a blood spot, so I put them back. A couple hours later, I widened the opening. A couple hours more I lifted their heads out. (the two that I opened.)
One cheeped, one barely opened it's mouth. The first cheeped a couple more times, and could be seen breathing, the other just sits. Yolk is visible inside the shell. They are both just sitting still, I can't even see their breathing movements now. Their eyes aren't cloudy, though. I opened the air cell end of the other two, and was careful not to break the membrane, (also tough and white) and have been wetting it every hour or so.
Is it expected that my little delicate ducks wouldn't move? I'm dying just leaving them alone, but there is still a vascular network, and yolk present. I haven't pulled away any shell that wasn't where the air cell was. What is happening? Any ideas?

For the casual onlooker, silky ducks should be hatched out at day 26.

 

[peking]

I apologize for breaking into the conversation...I have had two pekings hatch tonight---I have never done this before and am very nervous about leaving them in the incubator--they are flopping around all over the place and I am afraid they will hit their heads on the heating element. I don't have a heat lamp yet--I thought they would hatch on Sunday--that was their "due date" what should I do? I feel like I just delivered my own children---I am so worried~

 

[starryeyes]

They should be fine in the incubator for the most part they just flop around the first few days. What kind of bator? My rouen is 3 days old and she does not jump around so i dont think they will jump up and hit the heating element.

 

[hippiehen]

Broody Ducks are SCARY! She chased me 50 yards today when I was trying to clean out their feeder!!