First Ducklings of the Season

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Hatching is underway at Mudchute, with the first of Spring's arrivals making their way into the world. We welcomed our first ducklings last week. The newly hatched ducklings include a mix of Aylesbury and Runner ducklings and will be joined by further ducklings and chicks over the coming weeks and months.

These precocious youngsters spend nearly a month developing in the egg and are capable of walking and feeding themselves shortly after breaking free of the egg. However, breaking the eggshell from within is hard work. Chicks and ducklings first begin with an "internal pip" internally breaking into the air sac a the wide end of the egg, taking their first breaths. They then break the egg shell (an "external pip") before they begin to unzip the shell.

Watching the growth and development of the embryos is fascinating. We're also happy to share the experience with local school groups who participate in our Hatch and Brood programme, where eggs are incubated right in the classroom. Good luck to all of our participating schools! To find out more about the programme including how your school can take part, please visit our Education pages.