Bekah's Buns Rabbitry

2nd round of ducklings are beginning to hatch. The three hens are being overzealous with some laying multiple eggs today (yes I collect daily and this was their new location in the Quack Shack). If anyone wants to support Bekah's 4-H duck project, she is selling eggs for $4.00 per dozen.

Difficult hatch so far. The humidity has been swinging wildly and the temperature seems low. First to hatch was #5 (Sweedish Black), followed by #10 (Sweedish Blue), then #3 (Splash) and last so far #4 (Black). I can hear more so hopefully more will come but, #14 passed away after pipping. His whole beak was out and he got bumped into and I noticed he didn't move. He was too wet and didn't dry out enough to make it. I did take the three oldest with me to pick up Bekah from school (I am hoping to get friendlier ducks by interacting with them more).

Update: two more arrived right before bed # 17 (Blue) and # 7 (Splash). I hear some chirping and some working on their shells in the incubator. All hatched birds have been moved to the brooder as to not knock the others around so much.

Final numbers: 8/18 hatched only 2 didn't hatch that were fully formed. The rest had started forming but didn't continue for some reason. We have 2 Black, 3 Blue and 3 Splash.

We have a litter of Dwarf Papillions BTHSWL2 Princess and BB2 Sport had a litter of three. Two with very promising markings and a black sport. One might be a marked black and the other a marked blue or lilac. Mom carries torte and daddy is from our first litter of dwarf papillons so he could too. I didn't think this breeding took and the dwarf papillon I thought was pregnant hasn't kindled yet. I am also waiting on a lot more dwarf hotot litters and we are 1 day overdue.

We have some movement in the incubator for the Swedish Blue ducks. Eggs 4, 6, 9, 10 and 17 pipped overnight. I can also hear chirping. But no additional litters overnight.

Update only a few hours later: pipping has occurred on eggs 3, 5, 7, 9 and 12 now. So we are at 10/18 showing progress with egg 18 having not developed (unfertalized) so it was already removed.

BB35 our little brood dwarf hotot doe (BB8 Peter and BB4 Rose are the parents) had 5 babies today. The sire of the litter is BB8 Peter. This is our 1st dwarf hotot litter in almost a year. And hopefully more Dwarf Hotos and a few Dwarf Papillions will kindle tonight.

Bekah is thinking of getting out of Blanc de Hotots. Anyone interested in some of her rabbits please let us know. She currently has 30 Blancs total.

It is official, the one baby is a tort but not showable. The black baby looks like it has pretty good markings (Jeff Hardin and Mike Adams both confirmed). The two black sports are cute, and if female, with good type will stay. Princess and Clark did pretty good on the 1st Dwarf Papillion litter.