Ducklings!

It's official!  We are Silver Appleyard breeders.  Our flock has procreated successfully. We set 6 duck eggs in the incubator 28 days ago.  Tonight we have 6 happy little ducklings.  They are adorable.  It's so amazing to think that the only difference between the eggs in the fridge and those little ducklings is 28 days of 100 degree heat.


I weighed and candled the eggs every week.  Beginning on day 6 I sprayed the eggs daily with warm water.  Thursday (day 25) I did a final candle and weigh in, took the incubator off the turner added more water to the trays as well as a little cup of water with some paper towel wadded up in it.  This kept the humidity sufficiently high for the last few days.  Friday night all six eggs had pips and by tonight all the ducks were out.

Eggs are set

The first pip

Another pip

A little hole!

A little beak!

Checking on their progress

The first three!

The first four in their brooder box waiting on their siblings.

Drying out in the incubator