| Author |
Barnyard Buddies:  Duck Eggs - Update #2 Wednesday  |
|
|
DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
 Posted - May 19 2008 : 6:58:33 PM
|
Well today should be hatching day and I have some peeping going on  and three of the eggs have little cracks in them. I hope the little ducklings are strong enough to hatch themselves, it's been the devil trying to keep the temp consistant. Do I dare get optimistic yet? I'm trying to not get too excited!!
|
Edited by - DaisyFarm on May 21 2008 3:29:55 PM |
|
|
ruralfarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
4309 Posts
Rene'
Prosser
WA
USA
4309 Posts |
Posted - May 19 2008 : 7:00:39 PM
|
I dont know I have heard you shouldnt count your chickens before they hatch... but never your ducks! Must be ok to get excited... let us know!!!
Rene~Prosser Farmgirl #185
" Plant goodness, harvest the fruit of loyalty, plow the new ground of knowledge. Hosea 10:12 |
 |
|
|
Tina Michelle
True Blue Farmgirl
6948 Posts
Tina
sunshine state
FL
USA
6948 Posts |
|
|
KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - May 20 2008 : 11:31:32 AM
|
I've been wondering, Diane, and I'm just excited that they've come this far! I'm crossing fingers for some fighters!!!! Good job, surrogate duck mom :)
Farmgirl Sister #80, thanks to a very special farmgirl from the Bluegrass..."She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian.
http://www.buyhandmade.org/ |
|
|
|
Miss Bee Haven
True Blue Farmgirl
4331 Posts
Janice
Louisville/Irvington
Kentucky
USA
4331 Posts |
Posted - May 20 2008 : 11:41:28 AM
|
Holding my breath and crossing my fingers! Come on little guys!
Farmgirl Sister #50
"If you think you've got it nailed down, then what's all that around it?"
'Br.Dave Gardner' |
|
|
|
DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2008 : 3:33:49 PM
|
What a night! After a couple of panicked long distance calls to a friend and a TON of extreme patience (eleven hours worth), we hatched the eggs ourselves. A huge learning curve, but we did it with complete success! Now I'm getting excited!
Introducing:
Rene, Tina, Jonni, Janice, Cyndi, Chris and Christine !!!! (They are all there somewhere!!)
|
|
|
|
Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
|
|
electricdunce
True Blue Farmgirl
2544 Posts
Karin
Belmont
ME
USA
2544 Posts |
|
|
DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2008 : 5:45:51 PM
|
Of the eggs we kept, all produced a live duckling. I'm shocked to say the least, as I couldn't afford to go and buy an incubator so did the best I could with a thermometer and brooding lamp. The temp was next to impossible to keep consistant between day and night and I did a couple things wrong. Firstly, they should have been turned many more times than I did. Also, and a note to anyone that attempts this, humidity is vital. I thought daily misting and my little dishes of water placed around the eggs would suffice with a plastic dome over the eggs, but not even close. That is why we ended up having to hatch the eggs ourselves. They had pipped four days ago and then stopped. We were candling them carefully several times a day and thought they were looking weaker (we also used my daughter's stethoscope to listen to the heartbeats). So with held breath, we started to break off the shell from one. The membrane inside was bone dry and stuck to the duckling's face. So we used warm water and a tiny soft paint brush and moistened the membrane. As soon as we did that, the duckling started to hatch itself and we just let it carry on. It hatched itself with a couple hours. So we did the rest of them the same way and I hatched the last one this afternoon. They all lived, including a couple that I kept in ducky ICU overnight because I expected they would die. Today they're all over the place with the rest and drinking from their waterer.
Sorry if this sounds all very dramatic, but for us it was!! I think I'm finally starting to relax a little!
This is what greeted us after three hours removing tiny little bits of shell and careful moistening.
|
Edited by - DaisyFarm on May 21 2008 5:47:09 PM |
|
|
|
Tina Michelle
True Blue Farmgirl
6948 Posts
Tina
sunshine state
FL
USA
6948 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2008 : 7:05:36 PM
|
oh my gosh! I'm just sitting here with a huge grin on my face. this is terrific..and who can resist a duckling named Tina?? of course that's the wee one in the middle with the brown on it's head right? LOL awww my name sake is a real looker..ha.congrats on all them hatching succesfully! woohoo! how cool.
~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~
visit me at:
http://gardengoose.blogspot.com/
and at www.stliving.net
you can also check out my etsy shops at:http://GardenGooseGifts.etsy.com |
|
|
|
KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2008 : 8:36:48 PM
|
Oh my goodness, Diane!!!! I'm so thrilled, and very, very, elated, and so humbled that there's a little one with my name!!!! I'm so thankful those little peeps made it and are true fighters!!!! Oh, that little face saying "hello" out of that egg--I've got tears...good tears!!!!
Yes, surrogate Duck Momma, you can finally relax. Well done!!!!
Farmgirl Sister #80, thanks to a very special farmgirl from the Bluegrass..."She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian.
http://www.buyhandmade.org/ |
|
|
|
Shirley
True Blue Farmgirl
734 Posts
Shirley
Olympia
Wa
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - May 22 2008 : 12:35:39 AM
|
Diane,
That is amazing!!!!! I would have never thought that they would all hatch, or any of them . I used to hatch eggs in a little clear dome top incubator when the kids were little. but never would have thought to do that.
What a Duck momma you are. GOOD JOB
The are so darn cute |
|
|
|
OregonGal
True Blue Farmgirl
511 Posts
Chris
No. IL
USA
511 Posts |
Posted - May 23 2008 : 10:48:55 AM
|
Diane,
You have done a supurb job of hatching them! To you I extend the hearty handshake, the
pat on the back, and the warm glow of victory!! New life is so precious and awesome...you
did some really good and fast thinking and saved them. Now instead of just one following
you around you'll have 7 following you! All's well that end well. God bless. |
|
|
|
DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
Posted - May 23 2008 : 11:30:35 AM
|
Thanks so much you guys, especially for the moral support when I started this endeavor. I totally agree with you Shirley, I had no expectations of any of them making it. This was totally new territory for me, talk about baptism by fire! lol
I now have eight babies and one more I'm still working on pretty much around the clock. He was way behind the others in incubation and still had the yolk sac attached. So I've not let him hatch by propping him up and been keeping the inside of the shell well moistened. I figured we should probably euthanize him (not me!), but this morning the yolk sac is almost completely absorbed so I'm hoping by dinner time he can maybe come out of his egg. Believe it or not he's really strong and ticked off I won't let him out yet!
Now for the other eight...well it's rodeo time in their brooding box which is now too small! They have doubled their size in two days, truly amazing. They are hilarious to watch, running all over the place and trying to flap their little 1" wings. Precious gems they are, nature's most innocent little creatures. My oldest daughter and I are so sappy, we had tears when we realized the first two were going to make it afterall.
If I can get this lousy software that came with my camera to upload the pics, I'll post one more.
Thanks again all and I'm so greatful to have you all to share this with.
Di
|
|
|
|
Tina Michelle
True Blue Farmgirl
6948 Posts
Tina
sunshine state
FL
USA
6948 Posts |
Posted - May 23 2008 : 11:54:55 AM
|
well gee, I wasn't even involved, but when I realized they had hatched and are making it, gosh darn it if I didn't get all sappy and nearly teary eyed too. I was so thrilled to see the pictures of these little quacker butts.
~Seize the Day! Live, Love, Laugh~
visit me at:
http://gardengoose.blogspot.com/
and at www.stliving.net
you can also check out my etsy shops at:http://GardenGooseGifts.etsy.com |
|
|
|
Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
|
| |
Barnyard Buddies: Duck Eggs - Update #2 Wednesday |
|
Duck Eggs - Update #2 Wednesday
