tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14598865.post1421057480511770598..comments2024-01-01T14:34:27.379-05:00Comments on Maggie's Farm: Happy DaysMaggie's Farmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16972885781952186736noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14598865.post-24414324307428839942013-06-28T20:16:39.911-04:002013-06-28T20:16:39.911-04:00Hi Maggie,
Since you don't seem to know much ... Hi Maggie, <br />Since you don't seem to know much about the process of hatching duck eggs, I thought I might be able to give you a hand. A long time ago, one of my mama ducks was apparently duck napped from a nest she had been tending for about two weeks. (takes four weeks to make a baby duck). We decided to try to save the little buggers, even though every body said it couldn't be done. The shells need to be kept moist or they will become brittle and that will result in a poor hatch ratio. I decided to mimic the antics I had observed in mama ducks and it worked out well for me and the ducklings. I noticed that mother ducks would get off the nest several times a day (I put that at 3-4) and take a dip and come back and sit on the eggs having moistened their down and feathers. I simulated this 'dampening of the eggs' the best I could by dipping each egg for a few seconds ( let's say 20) in a pyrex measuring cup of luke warm water. Also, mom's turn their eggs, when they return to the nest, so I put an 'X' on one side of each egg so I could turn them each time after their dip. For nest material, I put the eggs on a folded towel, which maintained the dampness well.Remember damp is good, wet, not so much. Duck eggs hatch out at a temp of about 102 degrees F. I used a cardboard box with a 60 watt bulb partially covered by a piece of glass, with a candy thermometer to keep the environment about that temp most of the time. You can open or close the glass more or less to regulate the temp. As an added bonus, I looked up candling eggs and at somewhere around the 2-3 week mark you can actually see the baby ducks moving around inside the eggs with a simple light held up to the end. I'm sure you and Luke will love this. We had our duck egg adventure almost thirty years ago and telling you the story is bringing back such wonderful memories of sharing this with my kids.For the job that just couldn't be done we had a nearly 100% success rate. Cutest little Mallard babies, you ever did see. Wishing you and your critters all the best. Beamahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17668287319106340748noreply@blogger.com