Here are the new ducklings finally. The last two had a hard time getting out of the shell. One of them was just plain too big and I don't know why the little black and yellow one had trouble.
The little black and yellow one has a small crest or sometimes called a "tuft" when they are that small. He is a mix of my cayuga hen and one of the pekins or the rouen drake. A couple of the yellow ones have brownish feathers when they are wet so probably from my chocolate colored hen. She is the one sitting on eggs in the duck house now.
Anyway there were only 5 duck eggs in the incubator so this was a pretty good hatch considering my incubator temperature fluctuated so much.
They are cute now but they will be stinky soon and I am already thinking about fixing up a pen for them outside.
ducks, chickens and geese are what i miss most. as growing up in missouri and illinois we kids always had them...but my hubby says no not on the current homestead..so, i just go visiting all of the neighboring farms..one of these days i might just surprise my hubby :)
ReplyDeleteI'd love to have a few geese but can't find any or any eggs that I can afford. The ducks are kind of my babies. I love watching them.
DeleteCute additions to the mix!
ReplyDeleteGood for you! Great hatch...and they are soooooo cute!
ReplyDeleteReally cute... I love their tiny beaks.
ReplyDeleteHow cute.
ReplyDeleteHi Becky! That's great that you had that many ducklings from an incubator! And maybe the hen sitting on the other eggs will be able to hatch out those eggs as well! We finally got rid of our ducks as the male was torturing our hens so! Their feathers were worn off of their necks! Plus, I don't have to wonder what I'm going to do with all of those eggs! Blessings from Bama!
ReplyDeleteMy males are after the hens pretty good this year plus they are molting but they won't do it forever and that is why we wanted the yard fenced so that the hens could have more room to run. The drakes aren't nearly so bad with them now.
DeleteAdorable babies :) I have been wanting ducks, but haven't taken the plunge by ordering any ducklings yet. I tried bringing home 2 adults ducks but the drakes was beating up on my chickens. So I found a new home for them. I wonder if I would have to keep the ducks separate from the chickens, or if they are raised with the hens around they might be ok. Hmmm...thinking that one over :)
ReplyDeleteI do have 47 baby chicks right now! So I've been having lots of fun taking pics of them.
Enjoy your little babies!!!
The chickens can be raised with the ducks (I have one right now who won't leave his chickens, sigh)but it really is better to keep them separate, I think anyway, because ducks are very wet and messy and chickens don't really do well with wet and messy. Also, if you have 47 chicks right now, I would not get ducks right now. Ducks are not only messy as adults they are terribly wet and messy in the brooder (and they smell).
DeleteThey are cute!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely! This is why ducks are hard to eat and end up just playing in my yard and providing a few eggs.
ReplyDelete