How to hatch call ducklings? ***Updated questions!****

[PoultryGirly]

I have 12 more call duck eggs coming this weekend or early this week How should I clean my incubator? It is a BIG mess! (The 2 ducklings stayed in there for about 5 days!) And what are the 'biggies' to remember when incubating calls? I am going to use my upright automatic turner this go-round to reduce the risk of bacteria spreading to the eggs. I am also going to bump the temperature up to 101* and am going to lower the humidity from 45% to 35%. During lockdown the humidity will be 60-65% and the temperature will stay the same. Should I spray the eggs at all?

 

[Lacrystol]

The way I clean mine is hot water with dish soap a couple of times, then I spray it all down with Oxine, then I rinse the oxine and spray one more time and let it dry.

 

[PoultryGirly]

Thanks! Is there anything else I can use instead of Oxine (I don't have any and don't know where to get it)? My eggs arrived today and my incubator is a MESS!

 

[PoultryGirly]

Can I use bleach or will my styrofoam incubator absorb that and release the fumes during incubation?

 

[PoultryGirly]

I just cleaned my incubator. I mixed water with liquid dish soap and let it soak in the incubator, n the water trays, and on the metal screen. Then I rinsed that out and scrubbed the pieces with water-diluted bleach. I let that soak with a lot of water and rinsed it out. Now I have the 3 parts laying in the sun. After that I will rinse them one last time with water. Sound okay???? What should I wash the top of the incubator with? (If has the thermostat on it and the electrical stuff, so I can't rinse it.) Should I just scrub it with a paper towel with water or is that not enough? I could use the dish soap also.

 

[Lacrystol]

Thanks! Is there anything else I can use instead of Oxine (I don't have any and don't know where to get it)? My eggs arrived today and my incubator is a MESS!

you can purchase oxine online.

 

[Lacrystol]

Can I use bleach or will my styrofoam incubator absorb that and release the fumes during incubation?

Hum, I would dilute it really good, I have never used bleach.

 

[PoultryGirly]

Does my incubator cleaning process sound okay? What should I clean the top with?

 

[Lacrystol]

I just cleaned my incubator. I mixed water with liquid dish soap and let it soak in the incubator, n the water trays, and on the metal screen. Then I rinsed that out and scrubbed the pieces with water-diluted bleach. I let that soak with a lot of water and rinsed it out. Now I have the 3 parts laying in the sun. After that I will rinse them one last time with water. Sound okay???? What should I wash the top of the incubator with? (If has the thermostat on it and the electrical stuff, so I can't rinse it.) Should I just scrub it with a paper towel with water or is that not enough? I could use the dish soap also.

Sounds good as long as all that bleach is rinsed out, I think you'll be OK.. I would just take a paper towel with the bleach and clean it off, very little bleach though. I have used soap on the sides making sure I don't get the electrical parts. Of course, I'm a huge fan of Oxine so that's my replacement over bleach. LOL

 

[PoultryGirly]

I definitely would've used the Oxine, but I don't have any and my incubator needs to be clean today because my eggs arrived today and will go in tonight/tomorrow.