Another First

One of the great things about life is that, depending on how you live it, you can always have firsts. I have never seen a duck hatch.... and I still haven't but I did see it within seconds after as we were just walking by the incubator and the person I was with said, "Look! The duckling just hatched!"So now you've seen it too.

See the two parts of the egg with brown inside at the back left, right by the thermometer? Hard to believe she was in there just seconds before. (Click to see any photo enlarged). Notice that she is still wet and has a piece of the shell still on her. I don't know if the mother normally cleans them (I doubt it) or if they just teeter around (this one tried it's new legs and was wobbly, then had to stop and rest every few seconds) until they're all fluffy.

Look at that sweet little baby. Welcome to the world! This might be one to click on so the picture will enlarge.

Here's another where you can better see that she still has a little piece of shell stuck to her feathers. They drink pretty quickly after being born. I remain in awe of Mother Nature!

We're not sure but it looks like none of the other eggs seem to be viable. There has been no tapping from the beaks inside chipping away to get out. They were candled and you could not see much of anything inside. But they'll stay in the incubator for a few more days to see if we are wrong.

Check back in a few days and I will try to get some footage of her once she's fuzzy and full of energy and peeps!

Until then I have some questions -- Is this a first for you too? Of all the animals in the world, which would you like to see being born or immediately after like I did? I know, I know, so many to choose from. Then tell me your top three!