mixed species hatch-a-long! (eggs set 5/18 and 5/22)

[TiredOldMan]

No matter how many times you see it or how many you have seen it's always wonderful.

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

How cool is this??? And how cute!



Jim

 

[bug_n_flock]

All 7 chickies are doing well and growing, even the little one I helped hatch. Yay!


Today starts lockdown for the guinea eggs and potentially the 4 duck eggs (unfortunately one of the duck embryos died. Interestingly, the embryo in the long egg. The tiny duck egg is still going strong. I sure hope the remaining 4 all hatch.


Also the eggs I set on the 22 should hatch soon if they are going to. Though, the new incubator is so terrible I would not be surprised if none hatch. We'll see.



From phone

 

[bug_n_flock]

The black chick is the one I had to help hatch.


From phone

 

[itzjbean]

I'm in love with the black chick! But they are all so adorable!

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Oh my goodness! They are soooooo adorable!! It seems like EVERY baby is so cute! don't you wish they could stay babies forever??? lol

I still want one though!

Jim

 

[bug_n_flock]

Lol, where should I send the little one to?



Just went in the incubator to candle the duck eggs(look like still a day or two from hatch at least), I heard weird clicking noises... the guineas are hatching! Or, they have pipped anyway. Still be a while till they are fully out most likely.



From phone

 

[bug_n_flock]

Enough sad posts. Not that I'm not still heartbroken. On the day we lost Pistol, a tiny duckling entered the world. He had "hatched" about a day, day and a half earlier than he entered the world, but he wasn't done cooking yet. Hatched out with a full size, completely unabsorbed, dangerous as all get out(potentially) yolk outside of his body. Also intestines. Luckily all his outside insidey bits were still stuck in the eggshell and we realized what was up immediately and stepped in to help.



Set up a CHICK-U(like NICU, but for preemie baby birds), in the form of a small tray with high walls with wet paper towel in the bottom that we crammed with enough other already warm eggs to really limit duckling's space to move around so he wouldn't accidentally rupture the yolk or pull his guts out accidentally. Then we carefully moved duckling and his attached eggshell and insidey bits to the CHICK-U in the larger incubator, and we carefully squirted some pennicillin around on the paper towel, but not directly on the duckling. Gave it a bit over a day and he was running around like a normal baby duck who just had a large "outie" navel for a little while. Looking at his belly now, you would have no idea of his start. Unabaorbed yolks are relatively common, and even without special care are totally survivable. Pulling out guts accidentally and infection are the two biggest dangers normally, but normally unabsorbed yolks are not as bad as this one was. Very very glad duckling made it. He has been a great comfort the past few days.



He was the only duckling to hatch. After doing some consulting it seems this maybe was from too high of humidity during incubation. Will buy a new incubator before trying to hatch any more ducks, but the guineas did well. All of the fertile guinea eggs hatched with no problems. Have so many of the little things running around now.



All are for sale except for the duck, and our favorite baby chicken, the black one I helped hatch. My aunt is coming for a visit in a few weeks and she has severe allergies, so the guest room must be chicken free and clean by the time she gets here.


Duckling still needs a name. We are close enough to move that we are keeping him. Also the baby chicken. Will do photos once I get on my computer.



From phone

 

[Owlet]

Pepper for the baby chick?

Bubbles for the duck!
I'm very creative xD

 

[ChristaNL]

Rappa for the duck?


(after Rapa Nui, Te Pito o Te Henua, which means “the navel of the world.")
That way you can celebrate his 'navel-adventure' for as long as he (or she) lives.

 

[Sunnyclover]

Death Star for the chick and Haan Solo for the Duck!