Clunie Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 I'm really excited as I got an Indian Runner drake yesterday for my two ducks. He's a lovely boy, quite friendly and is black and white. Although I'd read that the males were a lot quieter than the females I was really surprised at how quiet he is! Maybe he will teach the girls some good manners. The funniest part was when I put him down in the run in his box, he just flew right out of it and landed in the pond with a splash! I don't know who was more surprised me, the drake or the ducks! Anyway they all seem to be getting on well. So fingers crossed I may have ducklings later on in the year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreaT Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Ooh, sounds lovely! I'm hoping to have ducks later in the spring. You do know it's compulsory to show pics don't you? Please! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeky Chooky Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 You do know it's compulsory to show pics don't you? Please! This is totally true of course...piccies please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollyripkim Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Congratulations, how lovely to look forward to ducklings, would love to do it but just not set up for it. Definitely need pictures! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Lucky you Is he a magpie runner? Was he a special purchase, a present or a ducky of fate? My OH will be so coz he really wanted runners and I went and got him call ducks . . . sweet but not quite the same thing in his estimation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clunie Posted February 1, 2013 Author Share Posted February 1, 2013 As soon as the weather turns better - ie not raining all the time I will take some piccies - promise. However I have been incorrect on describing Pi he is more of a fawn and white with black and white on his head! Sorry Pi!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clunie Posted February 28, 2013 Author Share Posted February 28, 2013 Yipee an egg this morning from one of the Indian Runners! So maybe the middle of next month I'll collect some and see if Pi is doing his job! With any luck I may have ducklings this year. So much so for not increasing my stock of the feathered friends! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeky Chooky Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 Congratulations on the The first of many One of our Muscovy girls laid her 30th this morning! By the way, aren't we still waiting for that photo of Pi? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 With any luck I may have ducklings this year. So much so for not increasing my stock of the feathered friends! Well, looking at your signature, everything is going in twos or multiples of two so now you need at least one more duck, maby 3 - oh and another budgie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clunie Posted March 24, 2013 Author Share Posted March 24, 2013 Here's a photo of the ducks Pi (drake) Jemima (white) and Jessie (fawn & white) - if it works fingers crossed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeky Chooky Posted March 24, 2013 Share Posted March 24, 2013 Awww, they're gorgeous Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Oh aren't they just beautiful. I'm so You are lucky I'm down south or I might have to come over in the dead of night with a duck basket Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparkysmum Posted March 27, 2013 Share Posted March 27, 2013 Just gorgeous, very . Alli x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clunie Posted March 27, 2013 Author Share Posted March 27, 2013 Thank you for all the comments about my ducks. I'm glad that I was able to post a picture for you all. Anyway have just candled the duck eggs (currently day 5). I am only incubating 4 as I was unsure if Pi was doing his job! Anyway imagine my surprise when I saw that each egg is fertile. Lovely blood vessels and the embryo showing clearly. My son was incredibly excited! Good boy Pi! However I know that the next 23 or so days are perhaps the harder ones as the old adage says ' don't count your chickens before they hatch!' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted March 28, 2013 Share Posted March 28, 2013 Well done Pie - don't listen next time anyone questions your manhood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted April 2, 2013 Share Posted April 2, 2013 At the weekend I was at a country fair at Thame, and there was an exhibition of a collie rounding up Indian runners and then separating off the white ones from the dark ones. It was so sweet. The collie was very clever but then so too were the runners Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clunie Posted April 14, 2013 Author Share Posted April 14, 2013 Isn't it typical day 22 of incubating eggs and we have a power cut! I rushed upstairs and draped a duvet round the incubator. The power was off for one and a half hours and temp had dropped to 30.7. Fingers crossed that all will be OK. I guess it coud have been worse and been in the final 3 days when the humidity had needed to be high! Will be able to candle when I take the seperators out on Tuesday and put in some woodchip paper. Typical isn't it and first attempt at doing duck eggs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 Oh I do hope your eggs are OK. If you think about it, mummy ducks have to leave their nests for a bit each day to get their food and clean their feathers in some water so fingers crossed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clunie Posted April 18, 2013 Author Share Posted April 18, 2013 Well that's the duck eggs due to hatch on Friday, so Tuesday night I stop the turning mechanism and increased the humidity. On wednesday morning one egg was wobbling and then I noticed two were pipping.Great panic as I had to set up the brooder and the electric hen - this included finding the unit, steralising it etc . all set up and ready Wed afternoon. Went to check on the progress at 6am this morning and there was a very wet newly hatched duckling!! Little quackling (now named Loki - as is full of mischief!) was moved into the brooder as was nicely fluffed up. Loki is a right character has even been trying to jump on top of E.H. Amazing when you think that is less than a day old! If I thought that chicks called loudly then I've had ny eyes fully opened! I'll try and post pictures tomorrow as have a problem with photobucket Fingers crossed taht some of the others will hatch as I've had to put a couple of fluffy toys in beside Loki for company! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted April 19, 2013 Share Posted April 19, 2013 Congratulations on the arrival of Loki Really looking forward to some pictures as I'm dead I hope the soft toys are appropriate e.g. not a toy foxy or anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clunie Posted April 19, 2013 Author Share Posted April 19, 2013 Hi Thanks Shabby Chick. Loki now has a fried called Lexi (don't really know if male or female). Lexi hatched overnight and has fixed on Loki - it's so cute! Then no 3 I had to help out of it's shell. It had been pipping since Wednesday but came through in the middle and not the blunt end. I know that's not a good sign for them and although I know that I shouldn't help it, I couldn't just leave it....anyway one very tired duckling is sleeping in the incubator. The final egg is slowly pipping and appears to be fine. Still having problems with photobucket so may ask a friend to put the phots on for me! Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clunie Posted April 21, 2013 Author Share Posted April 21, 2013 Just thought that I'd post an update. All 4 of the eggs have hatched. The last one did so very quickly in the end. Unfortunately the final duckling seems to be a bit of a stargazer, which hopefully it will grow out of. I introduced it to the other three this morning and since then it seems a lot better and has stopped walking backwards! It is eating and drinking well. Lovely to see them all running around together. Having never hatched ducklings before I am amazed at how messy they are - running around dropping water from their bills and scattering food everywhere! Can't wait until they get a little shot at swimming in a few days or weeks time! I'm going to e-mail some photo's to my friend and ask her to upload them onto the Forum for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted April 22, 2013 Share Posted April 22, 2013 How wonderful that all 4 hatched. That is just brilliant Do give us a sort of blog on their progress. I can see it being my daily read For photobucket, I think the new look is really hard to work with but I have found that once I've uploaded a picture, if I go to my 'image library' each little image has a load of links just under it. The one at the bottom is called 'IMG thumb' . I click on the text 'IMG thumb' and then when the linky bit comes up in blue I press Ctrl C on my key board to copy it and then go to my post and press Ctrl V on my key board, which plops it into the post and there it is, a tad small, but there all the same. Hope that helps a little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clunie Posted April 22, 2013 Author Share Posted April 22, 2013 HI Shabby Chick Thanks for the advice re photobucket. My main problem with it seems to be taht it has uploaded a whole load of my photos that I didn't want it to and then it is too full - no more memory and I seem to be unable to access it!! Arrrr. 3 of the ducklings decided to sit on top of the electric hen today - I think that they may have been trying to drt off their bellies as they have been 'throwing' their drinking water everywhere! They really are mucky! I guess that it is because they have bills and not neat little beaks like chickens? I can't wait until I can actually give them their first little swim and then towel dry. Not sure when I can do this though - so any advice greatly received. I've read not till 8 weeks old when they have their waterproof feathers, then others say provided you dry them they can have short swims in warm water? Anyway their names currently are Loki, Lexi, Lucky (the one that I hatched) and Luna (who was a stargazer!). My son has slight difficulties with the letter 'l' hence the names all begin with it! They are all growing and Loki in particular is incredibly cheeky, hence well named I think! Anyway more to follow shortly ( if people are happy with that !). Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeky Chooky Posted April 24, 2013 Share Posted April 24, 2013 Awww, bet they're adorable Congratulations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
