Hatchalong! Setting Eggs April 6, 2012. Anyone else in? - Page 3

I'll join too. I set 6 duck eggs on April 8. I'm a bit behind everyone with a longer hatch, but hey... I have hatched before using the dry hatch method with fantastic success, buy I have been informed that dry hatching waterfowl eggs isn't a good idea so I'm using humidity this time around. Good luck everyone.

I'm hat hung ducks too and we are only 3 days apart. I'm sooo eager to candle my eggs but trying my best to wait until Friday! Except I have two that were cracked in shipping that I want to check on day 5 in case of infection or rotting. I sealed the cracks with nail hardener, hoping for the best. I've heard many success stories with cracked eggs, so I'm trying to stay optimistic. =)

25 days to go!!

  How many on here are doing their first hatch?  With shipped eggs?  Keep in mind that shipped egg hatch rates of 50 % are considered good , by people who have been doing this for a long time. (Yes, better % rates do happen, but shipping IS risky) I practiced, and practiced on cheap, local eggs till I got it down. It did take several tries, to work out the kinks. When I got really good at it, then I ordered a cheap set of shipped eggs. Now I am getting eggs for my keeper flock, but I still refuse to pay some of the crazy prices. There is good stock out there, often better than those going for the crazy money. Patience, research, patience.

   Also any cracked eggs are a potential venue for bacteria to spread in your incubator, if you chose to try to seal them, watch them closely, AND touch them LAST just in case. Incubators that have also been used to hatch in should be thoroughly disinfected between uses for the same reason.

   For those of you turning by hand (I am,  my older eggs), wash your hands before you handle eggs every time. I have a turner, but it is not plugged in yet since my eggs were shipped and some of them are very dark. I know a couple of the light eggs had loose air cells so I'll wait till I candle at 7 days to plug the turner in (the older eggs will be in the hatcher by then). That will give any lose air cells a chance to heal, hopefully. I don't ever lay shipped eggs on their side just in case.I set in the hatcher in a plastic egg flat since it can be disinfected for repeated use.

   I don't have any waterfowl, never heard of dry hatching them. I have to add small amounts (1-2 cc) of water to my Hovabator to keep humidity levels up to "Dry hatch" levels of about 30%. My hatcher is a Reptipro 5000 and I keep a very small stone creamer pitcher (about the size of a shot glass) in it. The cabinets don't lose humidity as much as the Styrofoams, so if I have several hatching at the same time, I'll take the water out all together to keep it under 70%.  I'm still getting used to the Reptipro, but I had a good Easter hatch with shipped eggs,  23 set  19 went to lock down, 15 hatched. 2 probably quit before lock down (I keep them if I'm not sure and they don't smell bad) 2 just never pipped. (you can also gently drop in a glass of very warm (95-100 degree) water and watch for them to kick, it's cool but I am not patient enough to watch for the lazy ones.)

I'm in! I have some started on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, &6th. Any advice on having eggs set on different days in the incubator? This is my first incubator hatch.

   First if you are going to stagger hatches, stagger at least a week apart. Hold eggs in a cool place and turn a couple of times a day till you have a good bunch collected(about 5-7 days). ALWAYS wash your hands before you handle the eggs.

    Use a hatcher for lock down day 18, so you can raise the humidity without affecting your other eggs, also so that your hatching chicks don't jostle and slime eggs still incubating, spreading bacteria on eggs that could be absorbed and cause low hatch rates in those eggs. 

   Mark the all eggs with the day you put them in or the lock down date or expected hatch date, which ever works for you. Remember to stop turning the eggs on day 18. It may help to keep a "Hatching Calender" next to the incubator with each batch tracked in a different color.

   Research, practice, research, practice, before you try a staggered hatch, be prepared. (Sorry, you did ask)

 

If you get lucky and have a broody, give some of the eggs (Preferably the largest batch that you set within 2 or 3 days) to the broody. AFTER you have made sure she is in a separate, darker, quiet place, where nothing will bother her, give her several dummy eggs or golf balls if she stays put for at least 2 more days, give her some. up to 15 for LF, maybe 7 for a bantam. 

 Zootopia, do you have a picture of what a loosse air cell looks like?  I've never hatch any shipped eggs, since I onlyhatch out for friends. I've never had to order any but I'm curious what it looks like when candled.

 

I had 3 ducks hatch late last night to early this morning so far and 3 are working still. 2 haven't pipped yet. But they aren't due to hatch til tomorrow.  I think really it is called dry incubating instead of dry hatching. I waited til they externally pipped then I increased the humidity to 60%. by  morning with the 3 hatched ones it was up to 72%. But it could have went higher as the ducklings weren't that wet anymore like when they first hatch. I had 8 eggs in hatcher. 3 hatched 3 working and 2 not pipped.

 

This is ny first batch and yes, with shipped eggs. I'm going to candle the two cracked eggs tomorrow, day 5, for any signs of infection or mold. And again with the rest of them on day 7 for any sign of life. I know my chances aren't very good, but I will be happy if just one or two hatch. But I'm hoping for the best.

We're in! We set only 3 eggs on the 7th. Home made incubator, and a science experiment for my husband and I. If they hatch, awesome. If not, that's okay too. (as we are already over our limit for hens)

We candled tonight, and saw veins in all three. Beginers luck???