Why do my ducks do this

[FernbergFarms]

This is Opal Autumn and Hazel all feathered out

there coop looks really gross but this was before chores and it’s frozen so I can’ttake it out I just lay new haytil spring

 

[graypes]

This is Opal Autumn and Hazel all feathered outView attachment 2543141 there coop looks really gross but this was before chores and it’s frozen so I can’ttake it out I just lay new haytil spring

They are SO CUTE I'm obsessed with their little trout feathers!! Good god Minnesota winters are no JOKE! I could not do below -5 but -50?!?!??! y'all Minnesotans are made of some strong stuff!

I just set 10 eggs in total between feb 26th and mar 1st (2 incubators) and they are all fertilized and are showing veins and growth so fingers crossed we'll have some new additions to the family soon! My previous incubator luck was piss poor so I'm just hoping for one lil baby to hatch out!!
What about you, have the new ducks come in? are you experimenting with crosses yet??

 

[FernbergFarms]

@graypes oh how fun!! I hope everything turns out well! My new ducks will be here May 24th so I have awhile yet my girls are still not laying any eggs so I don’t think I’m going to be able to hatch babies for a while... actually probably won’t hatch till May bc our spring is busy what breed will your ducklings be?

 

[graypes]

mine will be runners—some mix between the fawn & white drake and black duck! I’m hoping for blue and white runners but i’ll take what I can get!
What about these ordered chicks? what breed are they? Hopefully theyll send you some more girls to keep daffy and sweet baby autumn company! I’m at day 20&18 in my incubators so hopefully next time i post, they’ll be hatched!! i’m just so nervous about introducing them to mom and dad haha Nipple (the drake) is SO MEAN so he def wont meet any babies until theyre feathered out but Josh is pretty anxious so i feel like she’d get spooked and hurt them if i left her meet them

 

[FernbergFarms]

Oh cute!! That’s exiting!!!
The ones I ordered are two Pekin females and a Fawn and white runner female and a Fawn and white runner male. So I ordered 3 girls & 1 boy. I shouldn’t have ordered another boy but I want them to have straight runner babies. Also might try to show him. But I’m not sure yet.
Yeah, I had the same thought when I was hatching out my babies. But I kept my little ducklings in the house for two weeks (just like walked by the ducks a couple times with the ducklings) then I moved them to a different building we have, and like put them in a dog kennel outside for 30 minutes while the big ducks watched them. ( my boys were not happy about them) then I just waited to introduce them all till my babies were feathered out and could defend themselves and after a month or so the all get along great. Donald is still territorial of his house and his women with my little boys but other than that it’s good. So I would def wait till they are bigger to introduce them. And the big boys will try to drowned the little boys while they are ducklings so that is a reason to keep them separated for a while too. Plz send pics when your ducklings hatch!!

 

[riss]

Okay. Just a couple do that. And they are VERY loud when not together. I didn’t think they were Muscovy but one of our friends said they probably were but they’ve never had Muscovy ducks... yes we are young homesteaders/farmers first time raising ducks and trying to figure out different things

Alli

MINE DO THE EXACT SAME THING. I thought maybe they were just yawning but wasn't sure. Mine look similar to yours too. I have pekins and khakis who are almost a month old

 

[FernbergFarms]

Yeah. The ones of mine that did that turned out to be boys. And then my newest ducklings that did that turned out to be boys too. For the Kkakis if they have a white ring around their neck or a line like that or some white around their bills they are likely boys as well. All my boys have has that.

 

[graypes]

MINE DO THE EXACT SAME THING. I thought maybe they were just yawning but wasn't sure. Mine look similar to yours too. I have pekins and khakis who are almost a month old

omg i forgot what this thread was all about! mine def do the yawning thing a lot still and theyre almost a year old. They do it a lot when they preen it looks like a yawn in the mouth but their necks look almost like theyre retching or like bringing something up if that makes sense lol

 

[graypes]

@FernbergFarms did your ducks ever start laying eggs again? I just remembered you mentioned they had stopped and forgot to ask if her behavior was ok/if she was lethargic, could be egg-binding, but I'm guessing if it was you'd definitely know by now!

 

[graypes]

Plz send pics when your ducklings hatch!!

9/10 hatched, ALL ASSISTEDit was the most stressful few days EVER!!

the last one to hatch I though for sure was a goner, she just REEKED of urine and like had no life whatsoever in her for a few days but I gave her lots of attention and now she's queen bee life of the party lol

soooo smol

I gave away 6 of them to two local families/homesteaders who I was breeding them for on easter, BUT ended up keeping 3: Lil Wee Wee (the potty smelling one above^^), Chomps (who cracked his beak COMPLETELY THROUGH within 6 hours of hatch, sending me to the vet at 7am the following morning) and Boba (who is completely normal and healthy but was too pretty to give away and is teaching the other ducklings how to duck)

From Left to Right: Boba, Chomps, lil Wee Wee (Oui Oui if you're fancy)

I have no clue what the colors will be but looks like a mix from "blue" to like some sort of red/brown and white! they're so cute I am so distracted from my coursework!