PLEASE HELP - Humdity issues while incubating ducks!

[JanalynnDotenFerguson]

I keep mine on 35-45 percent humidity until lockdown, then I raise it to 60-65% .

Great, thank you,!

 

[Isaac 0]

Great, thank you,!

Of course, if next time you candle, check the air cells and if they seem to small your humidity is too high, and a big air cell means you have too low humidity. Adjust the humidity accordingly.

 

[JanalynnDotenFerguson]

We are deep into hatching! So far we have two little ones. One hatched at midnight, and one hatched at 9 AM. They both are looking great and are very active. I am struggling with whether or not to move them together to the brooder. It is already crowded and they are bugging each other a fair bit. There are 7 other eggs. The issue is that all the other eggs have pipped. Several have large holes.

Move them quick with a spray to help humidity? Don’t move them at all? What do you think?

 

[Knighstar679]

We are deep into hatching! So far we have two little ones. One hatched at midnight, and one hatched at 9 AM. They both are looking great and are very active. I am struggling with whether or not to move them together to the brooder. It is already crowded and they are bugging each other a fair bit. There are 7 other eggs. The issue is that all the other eggs have pipped. Several have large holes. View attachment 2082531Move them quick with a spray to help humidity? Don’t move them at all? What do you think?

I move mine when they are kicking around pretty hard. I lost one egg to one of my little ones flipping an egg over and its air supply getting cut off the first year I incubated though. So i am a little gun shy. But if your fast enough to get them out and spray the bottom of the incubator not the eggs themselves you should not have a humidity drop that will hurt your hatch.

 

[DuckyDonna]

Get them out of there now. As soon as my ducklings are free of their shells and are moving all around I get them into the brooder. I also take out the empty nasty egg shells. No reason to leave them in a cramped incubator where they can tear up the other eggs by climbing all over them.

 

[Isaac 0]

She looks dry enough to be moved out into a warm dry brooder.

 

[JanalynnDotenFerguson]

All told, we had 8 of the 9 eggs that went into lockdown hatch. They are doing so well! Any advice on what to do with crunchy head feathers. They like to splash in their water bowl, but

they have all gotten these crazy spiky hairdos that are hard, I am assuming since they can’t preen there. Any ideas. And here are some pics for your enjoyment.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Thank you for pics! I am always amazed that those big ol' ducklings came out of those teeny tiny eggs!

 

[JanalynnDotenFerguson]

I know! First time hatching for us.

 

[Isaac 0]

Adorable!