Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => Chicken Chat => Topic started by: Nails on May 29, 2010, 20:59

Title: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Nails on May 29, 2010, 20:59
Hi I have some Blue Runners and Aylesbury duck eggs in the inncy, it's day 25 today, I gave them a quick candle earlier, as most of them pipped yesterday, still none have hatched, and i noticed on a couple of them that they have pipped the wrong end, and are coming out the oppersite end to the air sack, will they be ok? Will they turn? i also noticed that 2 of them have got the air sack running long ways in the eggs and not at the fat end, again will they me ok?
This is the first time that i have got this far with duck eggs, as all the others have died before the hatching stage.
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Kate and her Ducks on May 29, 2010, 21:18
Day 5 is still pretty early so don't get too worked up yet! I have also had a few (quite a few in my last hatch) that have pipped at the wrong end. If they pip then they can breathe and hatch, although I have had to help some out a bit. If they try and fail (you can usually spot this by a stain appearing on the inside of the egg at the wrong end) they can't breathe and die. There doesn't seem to be much you can do about that. At the moment you need to hold your nerve, keep the lid on and the humidity up.

Good luck!
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Nails on May 29, 2010, 21:47
Kate how high should the humidity be now????
Oh god this is more nerve wracking than the chooks, but i know what i am doing with them now!!!! This is my first lot of Ducks
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Kate and her Ducks on May 29, 2010, 21:56
65-70%

temp down to 37 C.

Go to bed!!! Nothing is going to happen tonight you can do anything about!





(Easier said than done, I know!)
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Kate and her Ducks on May 29, 2010, 22:09
I have deleted your similar post in the Hen House. Would you like me to move this there?
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Nails on May 29, 2010, 22:13
LOL your tell me, i am pacing now just given them a spray, and made sure there is water in the pot, and put a damp cloth in, gonna leave it 10-15 mins and see how high that makes the humidity and if its staying at around 70% mark i will them go to bed, but not until i have the humidity where it should be. Thank you for you help
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Nails on May 29, 2010, 22:15
Thank you i was hoping someone would delete it lol i thought i had wiped it as i was typing it thats why i done it again.
If you think it would be better there then move it, i dont mind.
Thanks x
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Nails on May 30, 2010, 21:32
I have now had 3 aylesbury's, and 5 Blue indian runner ducklings hatch, although i think i may have been stitched up on the runners as there is a blck one in there!!!!
photo's to follow tomorrow.
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Kate and her Ducks on May 30, 2010, 22:28
Blue is caused by an incompletely dominent gene that dliutes black to blue so sounds like you have just got one where the gene was incompletely dominent and the black came through.

Looking forward to the pics tomorrow.
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Kate and her Ducks on May 31, 2010, 10:07
SO!!!!!


Where are these pics we were promised!!!
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Nails on May 31, 2010, 12:04
(http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad116/nails2009/DucksandDucklings006.jpg)
(http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad116/nails2009/DucksandDucklings007.jpg)
(http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad116/nails2009/DucksandDucklings004.jpg)
My new babies
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Nails on May 31, 2010, 12:07
(http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad116/nails2009/DucksandDucklings010.jpg)
Not sure this one is going to survive, he has been hatched since about 8pm last night, and he still hasn't stood up yet!
Don't want to be hasty and put it out of his misery, but equally don't want it to suffer.
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Kate and her Ducks on May 31, 2010, 17:12
I've had a couple like that, that just seem to take ages to get on their feet. I thunk they are sometimes just exhausted by the hatch. I have found that giving them a little honey or sugar water and popping them back in the incy for a little while usually perks them up if they don't seem to be getting there by themselves. Have salvaged a number of ducklings and quail who looked like they weren't going to do. Then again, maybe they just took a bit longer.  :wub:

Amazing how they preen even when the can't walk though.

I hope the little mite makes it and the rest look fab.

Ps. I think the yellow duck with the grey bill is actually your ringer as Aylesbury's have pink bills. Apparently there are very few true Aylesburys about due to cross breeding and lots of them have yellow bills which is a flaw but think grey bill is just a bit of something else!
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Nails on May 31, 2010, 19:39
The one with the grey bill is a ruuner, the third picturewith the 2 yellow ones at the back with the pink bills are the Aylesbury's, all the rest are runners.
Well since i posted the photo's the little one is still alive, seems to have a lot of fight in him, he has been named DD (Disabled Duck) LOL
I think his foot is a bit bent up, can i put a selotape boot on it and splint the leg straight? I really don't want to dispatch it yet if it may pull through, it has been drinking and even managed to get himself in the water pot and have a bath, His little head is to one side as well, and i wonder if he has brain damage??
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Kate and her Ducks on May 31, 2010, 19:46
They form in the egg with their head to one side (under right wing) and their feet are always furled up to begin with so I wouldn't do anything to it unless it remains that way when it is walking. It sometimes seems to take the feet 24 hours to sort themselves out.

I was referringto the duck at the front of the first pic and the third.
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Nails on May 31, 2010, 19:57
That is meant to be a blue runner lol
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Tania on May 31, 2010, 20:02
Hiya Nails,
One of my runner hatchlings looked like DD for a day or two. He's now bombing round the garden with the others as happy as Larry and with Beau who has now calmed down!!
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Kate and her Ducks on May 31, 2010, 20:18
Oh. Oops! It looks a bit yellow but maybe that is just the picture. Also some of my greys have a lot of yellow down over their grey when they hatch (she says rapidly back pedelling!).

Any how, how's DD getting on...
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Nails on May 31, 2010, 20:23
He is doing well, been swimming again bless him, just goig to take a picture of him, i am really keeping my fingers crossed he will be ok. Bless him
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Nails on May 31, 2010, 20:37
DD
(http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad116/nails2009/DucksandDucklings013.jpg)
(http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad116/nails2009/DucksandDucklings015.jpg)
(http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad116/nails2009/DucksandDucklings016.jpg)
(http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad116/nails2009/DucksandDucklings017.jpg)
He had just been for a swim when i took these a couple of minutes ago!!!!!!
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Kate and her Ducks on May 31, 2010, 20:40
He looks better already!
Just give him a bit of time and I really do recommnd a bit of sugar or honey water if thy are not eating yet for a boost of energy.

I'm sure he will be great. In my experience, in a couple of days time you won't be able to tell the difference.
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Nails on May 31, 2010, 21:00
Kate do you water the honey down? i will try him on it, he is in with the others, and that seems to have perked him up no end, before he was just laying there.
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Hawkins on May 31, 2010, 21:52
C'MOn DD you can do it weve all got our fingers crossed.

Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Kate and her Ducks on May 31, 2010, 23:44
Water the honey down and then give it to him with a dropper or straw with your finger over the end. Be prepared to get wet and sticky!
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Nails on June 01, 2010, 09:14
Update on DD, well can't believe it, gave him some sugar water last night, (By the way Kate he was drinking on his own so no need for droppers) got up this morning and although still a bit wobbly on his feet, he is up and running around with the rest of them, and i actually at first glance didn't know which one he was! So things are looking good.
Thanks for all the advice.
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: joyfull on June 01, 2010, 09:17
oh that is good news, hopefully DD will continue to pick up  :D
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Nails on June 01, 2010, 09:22
Just glad i wasn't to hasty yesterday Joyfull, was going to get hubby to do the deed, but although he will do it, like many he doesn't like killing the babies, and kept saying to me, see how he is in an hour etc and here we are ,he is running around with the others DD that is not hubby lol
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: dizzylizzie on June 01, 2010, 09:26
You'll have to change his name now :D
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Nails on June 01, 2010, 09:29
He will stay DD i think, delightful Duck now, unless any one has any suggestions for th first D!
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: joyfull on June 01, 2010, 09:34
Don't worry by the sounds of things he/she will soon be a dashing duck  :)
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Kate and her Ducks on June 01, 2010, 10:05
Really glad he made it. I've had a couple like this and although I'm sure they wouldn't make it in nature and all that, I've never been able to tell the difference after a day or so and they're pets too so always want to give them a chance.

More pics please!
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Nails on June 01, 2010, 10:10
I will get some of him later, we are off out for a couple of hours, hoping to go to Abbottsbury Swanary, and see the cygnets.
So i will take some later when we get back, and perhaps there will some piccy's of the cygnets as well
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Hawkins on June 01, 2010, 15:20
Yipee dastardly duck is up and running. C'Mon DD. Defo more pics please.
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: joyfull on June 01, 2010, 15:28
shouldn't that be duck dastardly and then you could have another one called mutley  ;)
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Nails on June 01, 2010, 20:39
Quick update on DD Photo included
(http://i927.photobucket.com/albums/ad116/nails2009/DucksandDucklings052.jpg)
He is doing ok, now running about with the others
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Kate and her Ducks on June 01, 2010, 20:49
Yay! Go DD!
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Hawkins on June 01, 2010, 20:56
He looks loads better, Go DD Go
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Nails on June 01, 2010, 21:00
oooo he is just so cute, i just have to keep going in an giving him a cuddle, my little miracle, OH said we would be selling all the ducks we hatched, hmmmm i don't think this little fella/lady will be going any where, he is here to stay!!!
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Kate and her Ducks on June 01, 2010, 21:03
Long live the under dog (or duck!).
Title: Re: Hatching Ducklings
Post by: Hawkins on June 01, 2010, 21:34
you definately have to keep him/her