I tired letting one of my hens incubate some call duck eggs last spring, and wont try that again. I only had one hatch, and the rest were shrink wrapped in their shells.
Call Duck Eggs: Artifical Versus Natural Incubation
- Thread starter Scott
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- #22
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Thats strange. Who knows. I know I just trust my cochin hens more than I trust an incubator. But we'll see with this hatch... maybe I can match my cochin hen.
Thats strange. Who knows. I know I just trust my cochin hens more than I trust an incubator. But we'll see with this hatch... maybe I can match my cochin hen.
- Mar 21, 2009
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Really, wow, that surprises me. A lot of people have had luck using hens. We live in a very dry environment here and we have frequently had 100% hatches using hens. Usually, I have used Silkies, but sometimes Bantam Cochins and in the past we used Orps occasionally. I am trying to keep more of my surplus duck hens though to use them as broodies as well, but haven't done that much in the past.
Really, wow, that surprises me. A lot of people have had luck using hens. We live in a very dry environment here and we have frequently had 100% hatches using hens. Usually, I have used Silkies, but sometimes Bantam Cochins and in the past we used Orps occasionally. I am trying to keep more of my surplus duck hens though to use them as broodies as well, but haven't done that much in the past.
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Don't get me wrong, DestinDuck... I'm glad you posted on this thread. And feel free to post as much as you'd like. I didn't mean to sound abrasive. Its good to have another wild waterfowl BYCer on board. You have far more experience than I with artificial incubation.
Where did you get your Bufflehead Ducks? Are they laying yet? Have they laid eggs for you in the past? And I agree, grey calls are nice. I'd get a pair if I had room.
Hey the more people post, the more tools we have for the toolbox! Not every method is going to work for everybody, everywhere, with every incubator and every egg.
Don't get me wrong, DestinDuck... I'm glad you posted on this thread. And feel free to post as much as you'd like. I didn't mean to sound abrasive. Its good to have another wild waterfowl BYCer on board. You have far more experience than I with artificial incubation.
Where did you get your Bufflehead Ducks? Are they laying yet? Have they laid eggs for you in the past? And I agree, grey calls are nice. I'd get a pair if I had room.
Hey the more people post, the more tools we have for the toolbox! Not every method is going to work for everybody, everywhere, with every incubator and every egg.
amen on them calls duckluck how do they go that long
also I Sent a pm to you scott IF ya got it let me know(im awful on computers)
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Last year I used sundowns techniques and had good hatches, but most required help hatching. I was impressed that any hatched knowing they were notoriously difficult. This year I have three jobs and no time so I just stuck them in my sportsman with chicken eggs, 45%, then 65%, and I had 3/4 hatch on their own. I am trying another batch of 8 the same way so we'll see if it works again in about 24 days! You are right about the chicken not changing her humidity...I would love to do some under a Cochin but none have gone broody yet...
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- #28
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I agree with you... I think it has to do with egg porosity. But again, that's just my speculation.
I agree with you... I think it has to do with egg porosity. But again, that's just my speculation.
I hatched 3 Call eggs last spring and used dry incubation method and kept my humidity in the 40s up until hatch then raised it to the 60s.
All 3 hatched but it took a long time for them to hatch I have always wondered if sometimes the people who help rush in to soon.
I used a top hatch incu that rolls the egg from side to side.
My white call hen the one in my Avatar hatched 7 out of 8 eggs last August and Is laying right now.
I observed how she moved her eggs around she would tuck some under her wings and body then push the others out to the sides out from under her.
I assumed she was letting them cool and then after a time she would roll out the ones under her and pull in the ones on the outside.
She came out and Bathed everyday and would sit and groom for a little while before returning to her nest.
My first eggs of this year were infertile I think it was due to them not having swimming water (It kept freezing)
But all are laying now and I'm sure my white call will be setting again, I'm going to see if my Greys will set their own eggs if not I will incubate them.
Since the dry incubation worked so well I think I will try that again if I have to incubate them.
All 3 hatched but it took a long time for them to hatch I have always wondered if sometimes the people who help rush in to soon.
I used a top hatch incu that rolls the egg from side to side.
My white call hen the one in my Avatar hatched 7 out of 8 eggs last August and Is laying right now.
I observed how she moved her eggs around she would tuck some under her wings and body then push the others out to the sides out from under her.
I assumed she was letting them cool and then after a time she would roll out the ones under her and pull in the ones on the outside.
She came out and Bathed everyday and would sit and groom for a little while before returning to her nest.
My first eggs of this year were infertile I think it was due to them not having swimming water (It kept freezing)
But all are laying now and I'm sure my white call will be setting again, I'm going to see if my Greys will set their own eggs if not I will incubate them.
Since the dry incubation worked so well I think I will try that again if I have to incubate them.
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- #30
Quote:
I'm glad to hear another call duck egg success story with artificial incubation. I tend to think that some people try to help to soon as well. Once again, I think the eggs on their side position (like your Top Hatch incubator) increases hatch success with duck eggs. Its also interesting to hear about your success with the dry incubation method. I think you were wise to go that route. I've read that too much humidity is more often the cause of poor hatch rates than too little humidity. The egg must decrease in humidity during the incubation process... and too much humidity can interfere with this.
I'm glad to hear another call duck egg success story with artificial incubation. I tend to think that some people try to help to soon as well. Once again, I think the eggs on their side position (like your Top Hatch incubator) increases hatch success with duck eggs. Its also interesting to hear about your success with the dry incubation method. I think you were wise to go that route. I've read that too much humidity is more often the cause of poor hatch rates than too little humidity. The egg must decrease in humidity during the incubation process... and too much humidity can interfere with this.
My white call hen the one in my Avatar hatched 7 out of 8 eggs last August and Is laying right now.
I observed how she moved her eggs around she would tuck some under her wings and body then push the others out to the sides out from under her.
I assumed she was letting them cool and then after a time she would roll out the ones under her and pull in the ones on the outside.
She came out and Bathed everyday and would sit and groom for a little while before returning to her nest.
You're fortunate that your white hen went and stayed broody. I've read that white calls are the worst about sitting on eggs, but that greys are the best. On the other hand, I've also read that call hens with pigmentation in their beaks (like yours) tend to be better broodies. To this day, one of my favorite photos of call ducks is that one of yours with the white hen and duckling sleeping her wing.
I observed how she moved her eggs around she would tuck some under her wings and body then push the others out to the sides out from under her.
I assumed she was letting them cool and then after a time she would roll out the ones under her and pull in the ones on the outside.
She came out and Bathed everyday and would sit and groom for a little while before returning to her nest.
You're fortunate that your white hen went and stayed broody. I've read that white calls are the worst about sitting on eggs, but that greys are the best. On the other hand, I've also read that call hens with pigmentation in their beaks (like yours) tend to be better broodies. To this day, one of my favorite photos of call ducks is that one of yours with the white hen and duckling sleeping her wing.
My first eggs of this year were infertile I think it was due to them not having swimming water (It kept freezing)
But all are laying now and I'm sure my white call will be setting again, I'm going to see if my Greys will set their own eggs if not I will incubate them.
Since the dry incubation worked so well I think I will try that again if I have to incubate them.
You're probably right about the infertile eggs... its related to the lack of unfrozen water (i.e. no matings were taking place). Are your greys and whites kept separate?
But all are laying now and I'm sure my white call will be setting again, I'm going to see if my Greys will set their own eggs if not I will incubate them.
Since the dry incubation worked so well I think I will try that again if I have to incubate them.
You're probably right about the infertile eggs... its related to the lack of unfrozen water (i.e. no matings were taking place). Are your greys and whites kept separate?
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