Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: Cleo on September 16, 2008, 10:02
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Silver appleyard day 21
Well I still have four eggs. What should I see when candling on day 21.
Do you sometimes find it more difficult to see movement when they get bigger ?
I def. caught two doing the jive last night. Not sure about the other two.
Only a week to go it's very exciting.
I've started Misting the eggs with warm water twice a day.
Any thoughts on what I should do to hopefully end up with ducks this time.
Cleo
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Dont know about the candling The hatchery told us not to move the eggs after day 18 as too much movement can cause the chicks beak to move out of the air sack and can drown!!!!!! dont know how true this is !! :shock:
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Just realised you talking about duckies :shock: I know nothing about duckies but it could be the same for them!!!??
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Hi Cleo
When you candle now it should basically be a black blob with a large air sac, if your lucky you might be able to see a slight movement between the air cell and the chick, ie a foot moving
Here's an idea of how big the air sac should be now.
(http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii117/TotallyBonkers68/44fdca5a.jpg)
Hope that's some help :)
Sarah
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Thanks , that's mostly how mine look. Just keeping the old fingers crossed
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Will keep everything crossed here for you tooo :D
Sarah-
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Keeping my fingers and everythng else I've got crossed for you. You must be really nervous after the awful luck you have had, I was a gibbering wreck.
Good luck, you're doing every thing I would do.
Keep us up to date :D
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Hoping they come through for you cleo.
Be nice to see some more hatchling photos. :D
Rob 8)
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Hoping they come through for you cleo.
Be nice to see some more hatchling photos. :D
Rob 8)
Did someone say hatching photos needed????
They not ducks though! :D
(http://i482.photobucket.com/albums/rr184/chickenlady03/DSC00298.jpg)
(http://i482.photobucket.com/albums/rr184/chickenlady03/DSC00301.jpg)
(http://i482.photobucket.com/albums/rr184/chickenlady03/DSC00320.jpg)
in amongst this lot are 3 of our girlies! :D
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Altogether now.....
AAAAAArrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
That's as fresh as they come. Really sweet chickenlady. I hope cleo gets the same joy.
Rob 8)
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Aww lovely,
Thanks for the good wishes guys!
Just keeping going with the usual routine though will stop turning on day 24.
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Day 25 :D
Checks the eggs very gently last night . We have three healthy ducklings
one close to internal pip.
Temperature is good...humidity high, no more turning..
Q. What is the first thing you would feed them when hatched and how many hours after hatch do they need feeding.
Cleo
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Chick crumb, specifically for waterfowl if you can get it. If you can't make sure it is non-medicated as the anti-coccicodosis stuff is toxic to ducklings. They don't need food or water in the first 24 hours as they still have the remains of the yolk that they absorb in their stomach but I have always made sure they have food and water available from hatching. They sometimes need a bit of encouragement and their bill dipping into the water and feed to give them the idea.
If they are not keen on eating to begin with a bit of hard boiled egg crumbled up.
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OoooooooO It's sounding good :D
Do as Kate suggests and you wont go far wrong :D
Smallholders Organic range is Coccicodosis free :)
Good Luck :D
Sarah
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I read this and have so got everything crossed for you :D keep us posted, and I mean everyday please. I am not getting impatient or excited you understand :roll: its just that you need to finish what you started :wink: :lol: :lol: :lol: oh and photos are a must, they insist on it on here :oops: :lol: :lol:
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here's a pic of 1 of my aylesbury ducks a couple of days after hatching :D
(http://i287.photobucket.com/albums/ll124/MUFC-Dibble/DSC00151.jpg)
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Aaaah that is soo sweet :wink:
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Welcome to the Forums Rockchicks
Beautiful duckling :D
I love baby foties :D
Sarah
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great pic i hope its a true aylesbury i was looking at eggs last year for the big pond
but i read its very very hard to get true aylesbury as they have been cross breed so much
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We had them from 2 different sellers on ebay and the ones from 1 seller are far superior to the others. Although we wouldn't class any of them as the "true" exhibition type aylesbury as these are too small. We probably wouldn't get duck eggs off ebay again because of this.
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Welcome to the forums :lol:
Always great to have more duck people about!
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We had them from 2 different sellers on ebay and the ones from 1 seller are far superior to the others. Although we wouldn't class any of them as the "true" exhibition type aylesbury as these are too small. We probably wouldn't get duck eggs off ebay again because of this.
thats good to know about ebay please post the one you found the best here
thanks
http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=21008&highlight=
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:shock: What's all this about a large pond NP ?????
Where's the photos ????????
Why were we not told ?????
Where do my socks go after washing ?????
Rob 8)
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:shock: What's all this about a large pond NP ?????
Where's the photos ????????
Why were we not told ?????
Where do my socks go after washing ?????
Rob 8)
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
the pond is the landlords like everything else :roll:
but it will come in handy to put any drakes i dont want
and the plus side is ill still get to go see them
here is a vid
kJ5BDLIOAlA
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Lovely little pond. A lovely little ducks and geese :)
Something to aim for on a slightly smaller scale :D
Rob 8)
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:lol: :lol: :lol:
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Any news Cleo?
Not that I'm rushing the little uns at all, know they still ahve a couple of days to go :oops: Mine sometimes rocked a bit of even cheeped once they had internally pipped which can be a couple of days before hatching.
Keeping everything firmly crossed for you :wink:
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Not yet Kate,
I'm going to check them again tonight. We are close to pip. All looking good.
Am putting my mind to getting the brooder ready.
I don't want to hurry them either BUT
we can't wait to meet them. :D :D
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Excitement....had my first tap tap tap today when candling.
How long do duckies take from internal pip to hatch ?
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:cheers:
Oh how exciting!
Mine have been really variable. Some I never really noticed much at all and seemed to be out in a few hours, others seemed to go on for days. Will keep my fingers crossed and hopefully babies tomorrow. Try and be patient (Do as I say, not what I do :oops: )
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(http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Animals/animals-35.gif)
They can rest for up to 24 hours after internal Pip :(
Will keep everything crossed here Cleo :D
Sarah
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All three internally pipped and resting.
:lol:
lots of movement. How long can they safely stay internally pipped before hatching ?
Will they run out of air if they take too long ?
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I have read that it can take 24 hours after internal pip before they make a move on the shell :?
I have to admitt that with my duck eggs that I had in the incy I did make a small hole in the air cell end to make sure they had enough air.
I did this by candleing and making sure I wasn't going to get the duck, then with a sterile needle made a hole.
It just gives them a bit more time :)
Sarah :)
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I'm a bit like Vember and find it hard not to interfer :oops: As she said it can take up to 24 hours for them to move onto the shell and during this time they will continue to get oxygen from the membranes lining the shell but thid gradually converts over to breathing and they can suffocate if they don't break through the shell.
I also made a hole in the air sac end of some of mine that seemed to be taking their time to give them a fighting chance. I just bored a little hole with the tip if a stanley knife and made sure thet the membrane was also breached. The trick is to stop immediately if you see any bleeding. There shouldn't be any at the air sac end.
They still have plenty of time so try and stay calm :wink:
We expect regular updates and while you are waiting get that camera ready!
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I too make a little hole (I use a self tapping screw,screwed in very carefully to make a tiny hole) I've lost too many ducklings at this stage not to interfere, but make sure you spray the eggs with warm water to keep the membrane soft after you have done this. Good luck.
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SO!
Any news?
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Just ignore me. I get impatient :oops:
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:lol:
This is where a permanent webcam would be invaluable. :D
Please take note Kate, next time you're hatching :wink:
Rob 8)
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Got the web cam, can skype them but other than that would need talking through setting it up :lol:
Am the world's worst meddler though so maybe I wouldn't show you those bits :oops:
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Small hole made in air sack end of each egg.
No casualties. Lots of wriggling but little tapping...though OH said that he saw one rocking.
Am spraying with warm water.
Looking good but no actual escape attempts yet.
Cleo
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It can take them a while :lol:
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We're pacing up and down with cigars ready :shock:
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See it's not just me!
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oh for god's sake hurry up!
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just to pass the time what is internal pip?
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It's when they break the membrane into the air sac but are still completely within the egg. From this point on they can breathe the air in the air sac and can peep. They still have to pip the actual shell and get their way out which some of mine had problems with so needed a bit of help but too early to worry about things like that yet!
I have to go out for a couple of hours but will be back soon!
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shopping? at a time like this?
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Things are looking good Cleo
Gives that extra bit of piece of mind that hole :lol:
Sarah :)
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...and of course they can hear you talking and will latch onto you even sooner. :D
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Towels and hot water at the ready......
still no news?
(http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Thinking/thinking-006.GIF)
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No news...its all gone quiet....
but then a watched pot ...
The poor blighters are sitting on the same shelf as my radio tuned to
radio4....
Perhaps they've heard the financial forcast and decided to stay put :lol:
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I'd make a hole in the other end of the egg and blow the little blighters out!!!
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
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:o :o :o :o
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we've got this to go through yet, ours are due to hatch tomorrow, pip (external) is absolutely refusing to go to school, she's terrified she'll miss it, we've agreed if they start in the morning she can throw a sicky (we don't nomally let them do that) but if it's quiet in the incy she has to go, (she's made me promise to ring the school and get her a message if anything happens) she's meant to go to her dad's after school, no chance of that.....................
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Patience was never my strong point!!! :oops:
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Patience is not my strong point either, I like the idea of blowing them out :lol:
I have to say that I practically caesarian sectioned a couple of mine but that was after 24 hour of nothing after the internal pip and they had stopped moving and I worried that they were not going to make it. I had a few in my first lots that died in shell after internally pipping and I hadn't given the air hole :cry:
I think it should be counted as educational for Pip to pull a sicky, a whole world that school never teaches them about 8)
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i'm toying with the idea of letting pip's class hatch out some eggs in the classroom, it wouldn't be untill the spring though, have to look into the in's and outs, plus we'd probably end up with chicks when they are no longer tiny and fluffy, so the breed would have to be considered, i think it would be fun for them and i've heard they do it in some schools (not ours though) don't know whether i could part with my incy for a month...... what do you think?
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Patience was never my strong point!!! :oops:
Snap, Snap Dragon :lol:
I'm ok till the last day then I just have to go out otherwise :roll:
Sarah :D
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i'm toying with the idea of letting pip's class hatch out some eggs in the classroom, it wouldn't be untill the spring though, have to look into the in's and outs, plus we'd probably end up with chicks when they are no longer tiny and fluffy, so the breed would have to be considered, i think it would be fun for them and i've heard they do it in some schools (not ours though) don't know whether i could part with my incy for a month...... what do you think?
Think it's a great idea providing you're happy to end up with the chicks when they are too much for the school! Sure you can cope with a few more :wink:
Think chicks would probably better than ducklings given they seem to have a better hatch rate from what people seem to say here particularly as there won't be anyone there to help out if needed.
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a few more won't make much diference here, the eggs in the incy are for pip's birthday, we have left a silkie, a silkie x frizzle, silver laced x frizzle, 2 gold laced frizzle x polish, 2 silver laced frizzle x polish, if the hatch fails we're taking her to Thirsk poultry market so she can choose her own, i sent my dad out to but her a little hen house to keep them in and he came back with a caravan. :shock:
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Literally a caravan or just something the size of a caravan?!!! :shock:
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no, a proper 4 berth caravan, complete with cooker, fridge, shower cubicle, and loo, the hen house he went to see was in a massive shed, he said it wasn't very strong or fox proof, but there was quite a tidy caravan there, when he came back with it i thought he mean't pip to keep her banties in it, he said pip and i could go touring in it, erm, where are we suppose to go?
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see the chicken coup advertised on e-bay at the bottom of the page, i've just bought the one that holds up to 10 birds for pip with his money.
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I thought you meant he had bought it for the chickens too!
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Sam and Pip took their tea over to eat in the caravan, she 's been playing "house" for the past hour, she reckons all she needs now is a telly and dvd player and she's off over there to live, when i told her about the boogey man in the wood she soon came back :D
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Buy her "Black Sheep" to watch :twisted:
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i've never known a video that has frightened them yet, they laughed at The hills have eyes! i didn't like it, when he was little Sam couldn't watch Gremlins, he still doesn't like it now when they turn nasty and yet he loves all the horror movies which terrify me, weird.
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Ah well you'll just have to stick to the boogey man!
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what's happening cleo? surely something must have happened by now.
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earth to Cleo, come in Cleo................
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Maybe she is boiling more water :?
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maybe she's taken them to the premature baby unit................................
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omg genocide, maybe she blew them out after all...............
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Do you think if she blew them out they would all come out Runners, all thin and stretched out even though they are ment to be Appleyards :roll:
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well, i think it's just marvelous she's left us here waiting, might have to go and get a glass of wine, if i have a hangover tomorrow it's all cleo's fault.
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ha ha ha
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Not going to take responsibility for the headaches I'm afraid.
Not much happening....bit of rocking, little bit of tapping but then it isn't officially day 28 until 10 pm... :(
At least all still moving..
lets hope the morning brings news...Oh and someone take the wine bottle from TMG :D :D :D
Thanks
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Still got everything crossed fro you. Had to help out some of mine but as you say still plenty of time, especially as they have holes to breathe and not 28 days yet. Keep them moist as especially with the hole they will dry out a little quicker and that can make it harder to hatch.
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Will keep it all crossed.
....and I'm not going anywhere near TMG to take her wine bottle off her :shock:
It's a risk we'll have to take.
Rob 8)
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Oh and someone take the wine bottle from TMG :D :D :D
Too late,
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....and I'm not going anywhere near TMG to take her wine bottle off her
it's from her, not off her, really Rob, queens english and all that, hic.
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How can you not be up already and letting us know whats happened!
Oh, you mean you joined this forum for help and advice and not early morning heckling from interferring biddies across the country. :oops:
I'll just sit quietly in the corner :roll:
Actually, I probably won't :wink:
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No ducks yet...
Still movement in shell....am misting with warm water occassionally...
No tapping really...they seem quite happy to stay put :(
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Note to Cleo :
Duck lovers are up early & are very impatient :lol:
Hope things are going ok :)
Sarah :D
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Sorry Cleo
posts must have crossed :lol:
So long as they're moving :D
Sarah :)
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The duckling furthest along is now making valiant attempts....scrabbling and tapping. Am keeping the eggs lightly misted with warm water to prevent the membrane drying up.
It is still day 28 until 10 pm
I have to go out this morning but will check in with progress at lunchtime :)
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what do you mean you have to go out? how can you possibly leave them?
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Might be for the best, less chance of premature meddling.
Not a chance I could leave though! You're a stronger woman than me, Cleo!
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i couldn't leave mine, i'd be afraid i'd come back and it would all be over, i was woken with a start to find pippa standing over the incy (on my bedside table) saying "your meant to be hatching today, so hatch" she looked at me and said "oh, can't you sleep either?" er, i was asleep till she came and scared the life out of me, it was 2.34 am, after that i couldn't get back to sleep and ended up watching Loose women, that Anthea Redfern looks dead old now!
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I managed to sleep before they hatched but only had about 2 hours undisturbed sleep the night after as I had a poorly one who needed pippette feeding. Worth it as by the next day, couln't tell it from the others.
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We have two little ducky beaks and a lot of peeping...the other one will probably follow in the next few hours
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We now have some big loud cheeps and wriggling interspersed with naps.
Very exciting.
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Yayyyyyy
Come one little ducks :)
Sarah :)
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quick, get the champagne ready!
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How are your doing TMG's Pip gone to school??
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she went to school but not to her dad's, sam did though, her banty house arrived today so when i want something doing i just say "hen house?" instant perfect behaviour, "would you like a coffee mum" or "here have half my mars bar" she's afraid we won't put it up for her till her birthday, mind you it took James and i 4 hours one Christmas eve to put her massive wooden dolls house up, we put the floors in upside down so stairs went nowhere, and doors opened on to nothing, we were nearly screaming and had to keep taking it apart and trying again, my dad standing smugly saying "do you need help" and us snapping "nooooo", that was 4 years ago and we still haven't put the lights in...................... :oops:
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she went to school but not to her dad's, sam did though, her banty house arrived today so when i want something doing i just say "hen house?" instant perfect behaviour, "would you like a coffee mum" or "here have half my mars bar" she's afraid we won't put it up for her till her birthday, mind you it took James and i 4 hours one Christmas eve to put her massive wooden dolls house up, we put the floors in upside down so stairs went nowhere, and doors opened on to nothing, we were nearly screaming and had to keep taking it apart and trying again, my dad standing smugly saying "do you need help" and us snapping "nooooo", that was 4 years ago and we still haven't put the lights in...................... :oops:
Have spent similar Christmas Eve's doing similar put togeathers for Dan :lol:
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fun isn't it?
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Pip'a eggs are doing a big fat nothing, i'm sick to the back teeth of peering into the incy.
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No wobbling or tapping ???
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What day are they today?
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they were put into the incy at 1 am (yeah i know it's an odd time, but then were odd people) on the 5th sep, including the 5th today is day 20, the instructions for the incy say day 20 to hatch, but my poultry keeping book say's day 21, the last 2 we hatched came on day 22 , 12 hours apart, so really it's anybody's guess.
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Any news Cleo?
Right now even a pic of an egg with a hole in it would keep us going :lol:
Tell 'em to get a move on. I'm back at work tomorrow :wink:
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update, pleeeezee?
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Any news??????
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nothing doing in my incy, how's yours going cleo?
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Two little peeps mostly hatched.
One seems to be resting but has quite a lot of yolk to absorb still so have left her do her own thing. Lots of flapping and peeping between naps.
Ducky number three has popped her beak out . Lots of peeps and chirps but
seems quite happy to sit in her shell.
Q... given that they are sitting under the incubator heat lamp...if the little uns are resting and absorbing their yolk...can they dehydrate ?
Or is this just my paranoia talking ? :)
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If they're still absorbing the yolk they should be ok.
Are they out of shell????
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They've got about 24 hours of food and water available to them in their yolk sac so should be fine. The important thing is that the mambrane doesn't dehydrate and stick to them, making it hard/impossible for them to complete the hatch. If they still have some yolk sac to absorb then they still have a little way to go although it is amazing how quickly this can happen. Lots of flapping and kicking is good (and naps inbetween) as it means they are not getting tired and giving up.
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haven't you forgotton something Cleo?
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Have I...?
I would post pics but...I have no idea how to get them from my camera on to the computer. You will have to wait till this evening when hubbie gets home.
Two ducks are sort of unfolded out of their shells but with their bottoms still in there and the third is still curled up in the shell but peeping and wriggling.
I am keeping the membranes damp for her so she shouldn't stick.
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Sounds like alls going well Cleo :D
Sarah
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It's nice to have a couple of threads to follow again. Better than watching soaps (which I refuse to do). Real life is always more exciting.
Keep us informed as much as you can Cleo. And photos when possible please :D ...your husband may be kept busy over the coming weeks :wink:
..and you too TMG. And anyone else with eggs approaching their end date.
Rob 8)
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nothing doing in our incy yet :cry: in spite of pip telling the eggs to get a move on, they're probably too scared to come out!
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I think you need to give them a quiet chat about their responsibilities and the number of people who are waiting for them.
They can't go on being babies all their lives and have got to grasp the nettle, hatch and have their photos taken. :?
Rob 8)
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you tell them Rob, they don't listen to me, i'm only their mother!
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chicks ay :?
Who'd have 'em :roll:
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still no action on the incy front, pip's getting desperate, she thinks they are all dead in shell, (they were alive and moving when we candled them 4 days ago) no wobbling, no cheaping, nothing, i've told her to look on the bright side, if the hatch fails she can go to thirsk a week on saturday and choose some for herself, but she really wants these chicks, i feel awful for her.
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still nothing happening, thought i heard a cheep last night but could have been a) my imagination, b) the chicks making themselves heard from pippa's room, the tapping i thought i heard at 3 am turned out to be the dog making himself comfy on the other side of the wall, his claws scratching, Pip's not going to school today, i thought if she threw a sickie it would be because they hatched, not because she's so utterley devastated they didn't, i told her she may as well go rather than mope about here all day, but she said "mum, i've told my friends, they'll all ask me and i won't be able to tell them without crying" wish i'd never started on this,
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Hope you get some action today TMG's :(
Fingers crossed
Sarah
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thanks Sarah, it's a bit gloomy here today, we're going to take the ducks down to the lake in a minute, their antics in the water may cheer her up a bit (must remember to tell her about the diving under water and coming up ages later somewhere else bit) else she'll be in after them thinking their drowning............................
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:lol: Ducks are ace fun to watch :lol:
You know where I am if you want any help :D
Sarah
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I hope everything works out TMG...
Here we have two healthy scrabbling ducklings. One a real bruiser and one quite delicate. I am hoping a male and female.
Unfortunately number three hatched well and then expired :cry:
I took the ducks out of the incy briefly to disinfect it ( in case ) and popped them back. One is still a little wobbly but the other is making a bid for freedom whenever I open the lid.
:D
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Fantastic news Cleo
Really really pleased for you :D
Sarah
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Hooray for the 2 !! :cheers:
Sorry about number 3 :(
If you can indulge us with photos at the earliest opportunity please :D
Some people get really impatient. Can't understand it myself :roll:
Pleased for you Cleo. :D
Rob 8)
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curiosity got the better of us and we candled the eggs (very carefully, and not changing their position) out of the 7, 6 haven't pipped and appear dead, however no 9 is moving and cheeping, when we put it back in the incy within 5 mins there was a tiny crack in the shell, a bit like if you tore a minute corner off a peice of paper, bearing in mind we are 11 and a half hours into day 22, how long can i leave it before interfering? if this is to be the only survivor i don't want to leave it to suffocate and die, also what can we have done wrong to make all the others die?
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If there is an air hole it shouldn't die now :D
You might want to open the little "tear" slightly to allow it to breath
Fingers crossed for you
ps if all bar this one have died in the late stages of incubation and they're from the same breeder I would go with poor diet for the adult birds/heridatory problem :?
Only other thing would be improper turning or wrong temp
Sarah :D
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they are all from the same breeder, 5 were infertile, i turned them every 8 hours, the temp has been stable all the way through, it's been cheeping then resting for about 3 hours now.
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Congratulations Cleo!
Really sorry to hear about yours TMG.
My incy turns the eggs more often than yours (about ever 3 hours) but I don't think that results in them all dying at this point and not the high infertile rate.
Will keep my fingers crossed for the last one.
Awaiting picures here!
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We want photos...... We want photos......!
Cleo - have words with hubby and get him to sort your camera out! :wink:
(http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Signs/zzzz-0027a.gif)
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We are one step closer....I have taken the photo's just need to sit him in front of the computer and bribe him with a beer....
Although he is negotiating that I dig his bed as well as mine for all the IT support ( bit harsh I feel ) :lol: :lol: :lol:
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:lol:
Threaten to find a cheaper IT support guy. Maybe one a bit younger ? :roll:
Rob 8)
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Hm....question...
Duckies are lovely and doing well but one has developed a sticky eye.
What do I do ?
Currently bathing periodically with warm water and hoping it will improve on its own as the little one is very very fiesty.
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Hi Cleo
Ducklings can get sticky eye for a couple of reasons one being water not deep enough for them to clean eye's in. But on the other hand you don't want it too deep, so caught between the devil & the deep blue whatsit.
Keep Bathing regular and let us know if no improvement :D
Sarah
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Hi Cleo
Ducklings can get sticky eye for a couple of reasons one being water not deep enough for them to clean eye's in. But on the other hand you don't want it too deep, so caught between the devil & the deep blue whatsit.
Keep Bathing regular and let us know if no improvement :D
Sarah
i had the same prob with the chicks i hatched
i just kept wiping it with warm water for a day or two and it cleared up
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(http://i474.photobucket.com/albums/rr106/Cleo721322/ducklings3.jpg)
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Too big....sorry
No idea how you re size this
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Don't worry cleo. I think you may be forgiven :wink:
Beautiful ducklings. Thank you to you and your OH. :D
I hope we can watch them grow.
Rob 8)
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Awwwww they're beautiful
Well done :D
Thanks for putting them up & thank O/H tooo :D
Sarah
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here you go
(http://i35.tinypic.com/23vgl1d.jpg)
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Thank you...
Babies are eating and drinking well and are deceptively fast :lol:
Bearing in mind that they are Silver appleyards...when should I be able to tell gender ?
When will they develop adult plumage ?
Sorry but I'm new to this so probably asking daft questions :lol:
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Thank you...
Babies are eating and drinking well and are deceptively fast :lol:
Bearing in mind that they are Silver appleyards...when should I be able to tell gender ?
When will they develop adult plumage ?
Sorry but I'm new to this so probably asking daft questions :lol:
they should have all there adult feathers in five weeks
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It is possible to sex ducklings between 2 days and 4 weeks by looking at their bits, but if your not careful you can cause damage :(
My Runners started quacking at 3 weeks and it was obvious straight away with that which were which.
Ladies quacked the men just sort of rasped :lol:
I've said it before but I really am pleased you got your babies in the end :D
Sarah
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Thank you :)
So relieved myself...it's been a long haul.
Don't want to hust them so I will posess my soul in patience for a couple of weeks.
Ducklings v. v. popular with the children. They are such fun to watch.
One seems to be a water baby...never happier than when trying to put her feet in the water bowl :D
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:lol:
They grow very quick :)
Enjoy
Sarah
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Congratulations and thank you for the beautiful pictures.
As Vember says, vent sexing is a bit of a specialized skill and you can injure them if you are not gentle.
Mine didn't start quacking till much later than Vember's runners, more like 7 weeks I'm afraid. Although they will be fully feathered by 5-6 weeks, this is jeuvinile plummage and girls and boys look the same (like girls). They don't get their adult (nuptial) plummage, including curly tail feathers till 16-20 weeks :roll:
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So will have to rely on finding the " quack " ...LOL
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Now that you've proved you can do it, we will be expecting loads more pictures and regular updates :wink:
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congratulations on your new arrivals they look gorgeous, well worth the wait
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Thank you