May Calendar

Learn about how a duckling develops inside an egg, candling eggs, and tips for raising ducks by clicking this helpful link.

Click on events for more details.




Agenda View:

Four Ducks Trying to Hatch

We have four ducks trying to hatch.  If you turn up the volume, you can hear them!

Follow live at bit.ly/koenigyoutube.

Hatch Day?

We have two ducks (#4 & #8) who have cracked through part of their shell and the membrane. 

Follow along with our live feed at bit.ly/koenigyoutube.

Egg #8 is cracked!

Egg #8 wants to emerge.  They have broken through the outer layer of the egg and membrane and are currently resting.  We can occasionally hear some peeping!

Follow along live at bit.ly/koenigyoutube and look for LIVE NOW to see the current video.


 

Quiet weekend

Eggs were candled on Saturday and I removed two more "quitters" as they did not progress.  They both had an embryo inside.  I did not see movement and each had developed very slowly and stopped progressing.  We now have 10 eggs.

Just candled on Monday night and saw two more (#12 and 18) have too much yolk and not enough duck.  Will crack at school on Tuesday.

Several Monarchs should emerge this week.  So far, we have released a male (chrysalis #1) and a female (chrysalis #3) Monarch butterfly.  Another female (chrysalis #2 - deformed shape of chrysalis and of butterfly body) probably had OE and was put down.  We have 6 more chrysalis left!

I need to get the "nursery"  (brooder) ready for the ducklings tomorrow!

Day 20 live feed set up

I was very sneaky last night.  I knew the Monarch would emerge today (Wednesday), but once she knew it was daylight she would eclose.  I didn't want to miss it, so I placed the cage in the prep room (dark room) until I moved her cage out into the morning light - ready to film the eclose!  It worked like a charm, as I didn't miss a thing!
I used our new school iPads and time lapsed the break-through at 9 am.  Mrs. McCoy brought down the laptop and Aver camera for the "live duckling hatch" next week.  We decided to practice the youtube channel and used our new Monarch girl to observe.

The live feed link is:  bit.ly/koenigyoutube

The duck eggs were moved to my home (we are under a severe weather alert - hail, tornado, rain) in the event we ran into complications at school with power (heat and rotating the eggs).  The camera remained "live" overnight and will be monitored throughout the night and into Thursday.  All the remaining chrysalids and the computer/video set-up will be brought to my home over the four day weekend - due to Easter break.  Students were given the link and wrote the information into their agenda.

Videos from the day may be seen here.

Caterpillar to Chrysalis (Timelapse Video)

Now that all the caterpillars and going through metamorphosis, we are focusing our attention on the eggs, again!

We saw some serious movement (with visions of head and beak) and can't wait to see them next week!

Videos are now posted here!

Here is our last caterpillar going into its chrysalis - which actually only took about 3 minutes in total.  He was a fast worker!

Caterpillars Devouring Milkweed Plants (Timelapse video)

Over the weekend, we set up a timelapse video to capture the remaining caterpillars eating some milkweed.  They were some very hungry caterpillars.

Resources

The Monarch butterfly shop has some great tips (FAQ) and resources for those who need more information on how to start your own butterfly garden or the Timetable of a Monarch butterfly.  This is the company I used to purchase our butterfly cage used in class.  A contest is underway for a free butterfly cage.  Contest ends Friday, April 19, 2019.

Schools have used the Insect Lore site to purchase live caterpillar kits that turn into "Painted Ladies" butterflies.  Kits are near $30 and include the container of food, pop-up cage, tiny caterpillars, instructions and more.  Some deluxe kits include magnets, nectar sponge and stickers.

If you are in the Frisco, TX area (near Coit and Rolater) - Shades of Green has milkweed for sale.  I was lucky enough last year - to get three free Monarch eggs on my plant when I bought it!  They are open seven days a week and is a full service, family owned & operated garden center serving:  The Colony, TX - Allen, TX - McKinney, TX - Dallas, TX - Plano, TX - Frisco, TX & surrounding areas.

Shades of Green workshop:  Saturday, April 27 @ 10am

For many, one of the great joys of gardening is all the wildlife it attracts to the yard. Butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees are naturally drawn to certain plants. Therefore, having those plants in your landscape increases the odds of attracting these fascinating pollinators. In this FREE clinic, will explain how you can make your yard a magnet for your favorite winged friends.

What We’ll Cover

• Best native perennials for butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees

• Host plants and nectar plants for different butterfly species

• How to create safe habitats for butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees so they’ll choose to make your yard their home

• Watering, care, and maintenance tips for long-term success

The clinic – held rain or shine – is free and begins at 10 am under the twin pecan trees. (We will move indoors during poor weather.) You’ll receive 30-45 minutes of quality instruction from one of our professional staff followed by an opportunity to ask questions.

Shades of Green also sells butterfly houses.  As of April 13, 2019, the one hanging to the left of the sign as a teardrop sells for $35.  The hexagon houses on the table sell for $25.

Day 16 - confession

Well, interesting headline, Right?
At the end of each week, I remove all the eggs onto a padded counter.  I change out the microfiber cloth at the bottom of the incubator for a clean one.   I use it to keep a moisture level high enough that I am not needed over the weekend to keep the humidity level high enough.  I rewet the cloth and return all the items back into the incubator by misting the eggs once more to survive over the weekend, as school is closed - no access.  Somehow, during the changing of the cloth and candling the eggs for staff children, #10 was rustled too much and the hairline crack became evident.
Mrs. McCoy (Stafford's Digital Learning Coach who helped me get the blog set up and the videos housed in Flipgrid) was interested in seeing a personal viewing of candling. As I was about to select an egg, I saw it.  #10 with a crack from the top to the bottom.  We scrambled for a fix.  I instantly thought of wax (crayon or candle) and began looking for some in the lab.  By looking on the internet, we found that clear fingernail polish would also work.  I did not have fingernail polish, but had success finding a non-fragrant candle and matches!
The video shows us placing wax on the crack.  We realize the duckling will need assistance, as he will not be able to break through the wax.  Needless to say, it was a long day on Friday.