We raise Rouen ducks and have always had good results hatching. This year our breeding stock is yearlings. For the first time our percent of hatch is less than 70% In previous years our stock was older. Are yearling ducks less fertile than older ones? Is it our specific ducks or is it because they are so young? Is it possible that they will do better next year? Any help is appreciated.

-- Susie Stretton (nightsong@beci.net), April 25, 2000

Answers

I'd guess that youth and inexperience at several places in the process are the reason for your low hatch. It is possible that you have a disease or parasite in your ducks that isn't helping-why is all your breeding stock young birds all of the sudden? Did something wipe out the older birds? Make sure they're getting a good diet, but if you've been raising ducks successfully you should already have that right. I'd just wait until next year and expect a better success rate for your ducks. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), April 25, 2000.

Susie: Are you letting the hens hatch the eggs? Lucky you. I only had one Rouen hen that was a good setter, and we lost her last year. She was a yearling when she hatched her first nest. The rest of them are good layers, now that spring has come, but none set. What's the secret? Thanks, Jan

-- Jan (Janice12@aol.com), April 26, 2000.

Jan, we have one (the only one left after the predators had their way) setting in a little doghouse inside the greenhouse/barn. They seem to like a really dark, secluded place to hide their nests. I'm not sure our eggs are fertile either, the ducks were all yearlings and very inept.- Kept falling off, etc.

-- Peg (NW WI) (wildwoodfarms@hushmail.com), April 26, 2000.