Hatching Update

Mama didn't like me invading her nest. 

My youngest wanted to go see how the duck eggs were doing after school today. I had given someone 12 duck eggs to incubate in an incubator last month and they only hatched 2 out of 12. So I told her not to get too excited that I thought we either had 3 live eggs and 1 rotten egg or 1 live egg and 3 rotten eggs because 3 looked alike and 1 looked different. (I had not candled them). We had also started out with both Silkies with two eggs each but the black one got sick and I had to put all four under the white one. She didn't mind but I had my doubts that she could cover all four of those big eggs.

When we got past the attack geese (ya the geese go after everyone but me because it's breeding season) and into the coop I took mama off the nest for a food and water break and we started looking. Damn if one didn't have a crack in it. I thought maybe mama had done it though so I picked it up and I could feel the little

You can see the raised spot in this photo that is the crack 

guy moving around and pecking. I held it up to her ear so my youngest could hear the pecking. Then said "we have at least one live one". Then we heard it peep. She was so excited. I decided to check the others and I could feel something in the second one too. When my daughter felt the last two she could feel life in them also but much fainter. So if they all manage to finish we have 4 potential ducklings on the way. Last week the black silkie had climbed back in the nest to help but only lasted a day and got off. But she will get her chance.  Guess I better go find a brooder box and light for them because we had a cold front move in today and it is suppose to get down to 30 degrees tonight. It would be nice if they were all girls. The duck eggs are proving to be very popular with my egg customers. And last night my girls and the man wanted to try deviled goose eggs with dinner. They were almost a meal by themselves.