BoradorBeans
Songster
This forum has been the immense help we didn't know we needed (with our egg-bound female, Keisha, and with our poor Lenny whi passed unexpectedly). We are taking time to focus on our little flock family who really are our feathered dogs.
Well, in October we will be incubating Ancona duck eggs (approximately 6). I've read the incubation sticky thread a few times, am planning to purchase an easy-to-use incubator (Harris Nuture Right 360), and mark/weigh each egg at the 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 day mark.
We are planning for a 28 day incubation period with 55% humidity (84 degrees wet thermometer) at 99.5 degrees F for the first 25 days, then increasing the humidity to 65% at day 25 through hatch (keeping temp. At 99.5 F). I know we may need to adjust humidity if the egg weight doesn't drop by 15-16%.
Anyway, wondering if anyone has any other advice for us, as we're brand new to this process? Any other resources specific to Ancona ducks you can recommend?
Separately - we're only planning on keeping a maximum of 2 ducks from this hatch (3, if we get 3, so theres no odd duck). If we are successful enough to hatch four or more, would anyone be interested in adopting 2+ Ancona ducks?
We live in the Tampa, FL metro area - and we know of a local sanctuary where they can safely live once grown, but just wanted to offer here first, since this community has been so wonderful to us.
Hatch date = approximately November 15-20.
(Adding a duck photo, for tax. This is our 2-mo old chocolate runner, Lucy, getting weighted - 1274 kg!).
Well, in October we will be incubating Ancona duck eggs (approximately 6). I've read the incubation sticky thread a few times, am planning to purchase an easy-to-use incubator (Harris Nuture Right 360), and mark/weigh each egg at the 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 day mark.
We are planning for a 28 day incubation period with 55% humidity (84 degrees wet thermometer) at 99.5 degrees F for the first 25 days, then increasing the humidity to 65% at day 25 through hatch (keeping temp. At 99.5 F). I know we may need to adjust humidity if the egg weight doesn't drop by 15-16%.
Anyway, wondering if anyone has any other advice for us, as we're brand new to this process? Any other resources specific to Ancona ducks you can recommend?
Separately - we're only planning on keeping a maximum of 2 ducks from this hatch (3, if we get 3, so theres no odd duck). If we are successful enough to hatch four or more, would anyone be interested in adopting 2+ Ancona ducks?
We live in the Tampa, FL metro area - and we know of a local sanctuary where they can safely live once grown, but just wanted to offer here first, since this community has been so wonderful to us.
Hatch date = approximately November 15-20.
(Adding a duck photo, for tax. This is our 2-mo old chocolate runner, Lucy, getting weighted - 1274 kg!).