Peripatetic philomaths…focusing on what's really important, eating ethically and cleanly, fermenting, foraging/wildcrafting, practicing herbalism, and being responsible stewards of our land. Sharing our photos, musings, and learnings. Still seeking our tribe.
It’s hatching day for Silverudd’s Blue and Olive Egger eggs! At last check, the first external pip was on an SB egg (it pipped the wrong end, which isn’t necessarily a problem), and an Olive Egger had also made a nice, large crack in its shell. Over the next couple of days, there should be fluffballs running around the incubator and, when they’re ready, the brooder. If you like cute chick pics, stay tuned!
I can honestly say that I have numerous hatches under my belt: chickens, ducks, geese, and guinea fowl. Each hatch is different, and, sometimes, they don’t have good outcomes; fortunately, that’s not how they usually go. The last duck hatch, however, resulted in just one duckling emerging from five developing eggs. What in the world do you do with a single, lonely, duckling…in winter?
It’s not long after I went to bed and for some reason, I awoke with my mind active and the desire to write a bit. While I don’t like being up at this time of the night (morning?), I figured I may as well make the most of it. After all, a hatch is underway and it’s been a few hours since I last checked progress.
Another hatch has concluded, and there is a very gunky hatcher waiting to be cleaned and disinfected…but before I jump into the less glamorous part of incubating eggs, let’s review how this hatch went.
The hatch is over, and there are ten energetic ducklings in the brooder. As with nearly every hatch, it was bittersweet: while it was, overall, a great hatch, it didn’t play out without some sadness.
It’s been a long wait for these ducklings – as of today, 34 days. Muscovy ducklings take longer than Mallard-derived breeds (like Indian Runners or Pekins) to hatch, but they’re definitely as cute!
