candling/hatching question

[tbevans]

My mallard started sitting on Monday 10/19..when do I need to candle the eggs to see which ones are good? Do I just throw out the bad ones? When they hatch do I leave them with mom or do I bring them in? I know it will be getting colder by the time they hatch.

 

[nchls school]

The first egg-are you sure of how long the eggs have been incubated? When eggs are close to hatching they would appear like what the 1st picture shows. I believe the other eggs show embryos that have died in development.

 

[Orca5094]

If the eggs were cold to the touch, she is no longer sitting. They should never get cold if the hen is incubating properly. It's true they'll get off maybe once a day for up to an hour, but that should be it. They typically cover the eggs when they get off to eat/swim and the eggs never get cold to the touch before they come back. So yes, I'd say she has abandoned her nest, or at least isn't doing a good enough job incubating since this is her first time. This is pretty common with young hens.

Do you have an incubator you can put the eggs into? Might be too late by now, but sometimes you can save them if you act quickly.

 

[Orca5094]

Oy, that makes it tough to know which thermometer to trust. If you're able to get another one (maybe just a simple thermometer) to see what that one says? Hopefully it's really right around 100, but I would be worried if it's really going from 102-109 because that is far too hot and will kill them. So sorry you're having such a tough time with these guys!

As far as the humidity goes, 35% is good for incubation so don't worry about getting it higher than that. Too high humidity can cause problems for them. The last 3 days of incubation ("lock down period") is when you'll want the humidity higher, maybe around 55%.

The best way to know if they are getting the proper humidity during incubation is to monitor the air cell sizes. This is a good chart that shows proper air cell size on different days of incubation. How do yours compare so far? If yours are too big, they need higher humidity. If they are too small, they need lower humidity. If they are just right, then you're doing good!

 

[tbevans]

I took the bowl with the sponge out and it dropped to 40%. Here in Louisiana we have an abundance in humidity! Lol perhaps we have plenty to keep it where it needs to be until lockdown! Thanks!!

 

[nchls school]

My mallard started sitting on Monday 10/19..when do I need to candle the eggs to see which ones are good? Do I just throw out the bad ones? When they hatch do I leave them with mom or do I bring them in? I know it will be getting colder by the time they hatch.

The eggs can be candled now (after five-six days). Any eggs that are clear should be discarded. You don't say where you're from. Here in Wisconsin I would bring the ducklings in where it is warm; the hen too, if you have the room.

 

[tbevans]

Ok great! I'll try to do that this evening! I'm in north Louisiana.

 

[nchls school]

Ok great! I'll try to do that this evening! I'm in north Louisiana.

How cold does it get there? We get temperatures well below 0 for weeks at a time. I'm sure you don't get temperatures like that.

 

[tbevans]

No we don't get Temps like that. Right now the lows are in the 50's-60's and the high is in the 70's...we have bipolar weather..haha it can be jacket weather one day and shorts weather the next.

 

[tbevans]

It's also rainy here right now..hasn't rained in months and has been raining almost non stop since Saturday evening.