Hatchlings Happening!

[Karen]

Though we have had some mama hens - and a mama duck - brooding eggs, and Lola hatched nine chicks of her own, Lady Kathering had three, lost one and adopted the baby chicks we bought to bring to church down in Belmont, Massachusetts for Easter, we did end up buying an incubator last months, as we had eggs aplenty, and were not sure any of the hens would stay broody long enough to hatch any. Lady Katherine's chicks are older, and getting huge by the way!

Lola, who is a Rapa Nui hen, hid her nest until suddenly there were nine - three yellow, three black and three brown. Madeline has her own she is hatching, but we the humans are in charge of the incubator! Just had another one hatch that I got to discover, it is drying off and staying warm in the incubator currently.

So exciting here at the farm! And we have at least two duckings - Cardamom hatched three, but stepped on one.

[cats4ever]

That is really exciting!
Do you have some pictures of all those babies?

[Karen]

I keep trying, but normally they are too busy moving too fast! Will see what I can dig up!

[phesina]

Wow! Your family has grown, for sure!

Best wishes to all!!!

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

[Karen]

Thanks, dark now and everyone is sleeping, but will try for pictures tomorrow!

[Karen]

Okay, some pictures!

We do not give hatchlings names until they are in their full feather - too many hazards out there for them, and of course we don't really know them yet!

But here is what I managed to get:

Mama Cardamom - Muscovy Duck and her two ducklings:

http://petoftheday.com/talk/attachment.php?attachmentid=61802&d=1560298915

[Karen]

A Rapa Nui chick and a Freedom ranger chick I think:

http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/attachment.php?attachmentid=61801&d=1560298823

[Karen]

Four little fluffs:

http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/attachment.php?attachmentid=61800&d=1560298823

[Karen]

Lady Katherine the Copperscotch and five of her eight - two are her own, the others she adopted when I bought them to take down to Boston for Easter Sunday:

http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/attachment.php?attachmentid=61799&d=1560298823

[Karen]

Mama Lola, a Rapa Nui and her nine - yes 9 babies, three yellow, three black and three brown. She hid her nest away from everyone and everything, and we only found her when one of the chicks escaped and was halfway across the yard one day. Kermit figured out the direction it came from, and we waited until dark and got the whole clutch and mama to safety for a few days for them to get a bit bigger.

http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/attachment.php?attachmentid=61798&d=1560298823

[Karen]

One new hatchling last night, but it was sadly too adventurous for its own good. It first wedged itself next to the incubator's heating element, and when I rescued it from there, it then got itself stuck, upside down, between the egg turner and the incubator wall, and injured itself badly in the process. I rescued it again, coddled t a little, but it passed away a while later, after I set it back in the incubator to dry out,

:(

But everyone else is doing well today! And Millicent is finally getting broody, and sitting on her eggs at night, so maybe there will be more!

[cats4ever]

I am so sorry about that little baby! They are so fragile.
You have quite a hatchling nursery now. They're adorable!:love:

[Karen]

Thank you. Kermit picked up four new Wynadotte chicks today, so the brooder is a little busier.

Millicent is not sitting on her nest tonight, so no idea if any of hers will hatch.

[phesina]

What wonderful additions to your family, Karen! Delightful!

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

[Karen]

Thanks. Millicent is now sitting on her nest again, and we'll keep her in there until there are babies - that's the plan anyway!

[cassiesmom]

I’m glad she is back on the nest! Best wishes!

[Karen]

Today's surprise is pretty Magnolia, whom we knew was setting for a while, emerged today with seven ducklings! Congratulations pretty momma! She is a Muscovy Duck, and some of her babies are Muscovey and some are "Mullards" - Franklin the Cayuga Duck mated her as well.

Anyway, here she is ....
http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/attachment.php?attachmentid=61825&d=1560806948
with all seven, albeit a bit blurry


Here's a better one of her but with just six duckling visible - the other was behind the box
http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/attachment.php?attachmentid=61826&d=1560806948

And here she is schooling one of the baby chickens from Easter, now huge, for getting near HER babies! (all seven visible again)!

http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/attachment.php?attachmentid=61827&d=1560806948

[phesina]

AWWWwwwwwww!!!! How sweet and lovely and beautiful!

Congratulations, Mama Magnolia!

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

[cats4ever]

They are so beautiful!:love:

[Felicia's Mom]

Magnolia, your babies are beautiful!:love:

[Vette]

Aw!! little fluffballs with legs :D
congratulations on everyone

[Karen]

Oooh, oooh! July 4th my niece Emily visited - no pictures of her, sorry. But on that day, unbeknownst to us at the time, the first gosling of the year hatched!

I did not get a close up picture, momma Winnie is very protective, as she should be. But here she is ... Emily the gosling and her momma

[Catty1]

All these little fuzzies in one thread - cuteness overload! :D:love:

Thank you for sharing these, Karen!

[cats4ever]

Mama goose looks very alert to protect her precious baby.

[phesina]

AWWWWwwww, how sweet! What a loving mom and child!

Thanks for sharing those great photos with us, Karen.

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

[Karen]

Would people like to see updated pictures of the ducklings, etc?

[phesina]

Of course!

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

[cats4ever]

Bring on the ducklings!:love:

[Felicia's Mom]

Yes, please!

[Freedom]

Well aren't they all just the cutest things! I'd be wanting to pick up and cuddle each one, much to all the mamma's dismay, lol. And the goose looks like she is hissing someone / something away in that first photo.

This is pet talk, of course we want update photos!!! :D

[Karen]

Well aren't they all just the cutest things! I'd be wanting to pick up and cuddle each one, much to all the mamma's dismay, lol. And the goose looks like she is hissing someone / something away in that first photo.

This is pet talk, of course we want update photos!!! :D

Yes, she was. Miss Emily gosling has quite an attitude already, if anyone comes anywhere near her, Momma Winnie hisses at them, and as will her Papa and Uncle, Jerome and Cotton as well. and if they don't, Emily peeps up, then they are on task!

[Catty1]

Yes please!

[Randi]

How cute they are, and she's such a good mom! :) Must be fun watching them grow up.

[Karen]

Here's from a few days ago - Magnolia and the ducklings. One is now missing, and another isn't very strong, so is in the brooder for the night at least, but here they are from the tenth -

http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/attachment.php?attachmentid=61914&d=1563157087


Also, two new baby ducks hatched, this time from Wheezy. the Cayuga Duck momma. Here's the one that seemed poorly, needed warmth and some Niacin - which is the powder in the water. Wheezy is a first time momma, so far has hatched four eggs, two babies died, but two made it, and more still may hatch. Kermit decided to to risk it, so brought this little girl inside.

http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/attachment.php?attachmentid=61918&d=1563157437

[Karen]

And here is Miss Emily Gosling again, getting big so fast!

http://PetoftheDay.com/talk/attachment.php?attachmentid=61915&d=1563157087

I distracted her guardians with some lettuce, and was able to get this picture.

[phesina]

Beautiful! Thank you, Karen.

:love::love::love::love::love::love::love::love:

[Karen]

Sadly, something is preying on Magnolia's ducklings. She is down to two now. It may be a great blue heron near the pond, or the Camada geese, or a fox ... we do not know.

[cats4ever]

That's so sad!:(
Can you pen them in?

[Felicia's Mom]

Yes! Can you help Magnolia?

[Karen]

They - Magnolia and her ducklings - have a hiding place where they sleep at night, but free range ruing the day. Her breed is not know for being great mothers after a certain point, and we do let her free range and go down to the pond, as she should - she's a water fowl. She can sleep inside at night, and has a chance to be inside if she wishes to, but she chooses not to do so.