➡I accidentally bought Balut eggs: 2 live ducks! Now a Chat Thread!

[NanaKat]

Do you run your incubator out in the barn too?

When I lived north of Dallas, we said anyone across the Red River was Yankee!

As an OKIE, I resemble that!

I am NOT ordering 40!

Sure you can...keep the wigglers and give the duds to the dogs.

just cloves

not to be confused with whole cloves...the spice.

 

[CSAchook]

Thinking about candling my eggs this weekend, which is around the half way point ( 11 or 12 days in) When should I expect to see movement? Should I wait until about the two week mark? Don't want to handle them too much. Thanks

I candled mine last night! It was day 10 and I was able to see some movement in all the good eggs. And some babies were very very wiggly!!!! It was amazing Tried to take photos but failed

Anyone got any tips on taking candling pics? Kiki, did you find video easier than photos?

 

[ronott1]

I candled mine last night! It was day 10 and I was able to see some movement in all the good eggs. And some babies were very very wiggly!!!! It was amazing Tried to take photos but failed

Anyone got any tips on taking candling pics? Kiki, did you find video easier than photos?

Use two candlers. I can rest the egg on the bottom one, hold it with the top one and snap the picture with the free hand

I did that in this video

 

[NanaKat]

Okay..I'm back with progress pictures...the ducklings are hatching. we have about 9 pip holes and several more rocking AND one baby out of the shell!
Thru the window you can see a few of the pip holes...


And a quickie shot when I added more wet cloths. There is the hatchlin hiding on the right side and a clear duck bill in the hole in the egg in front.


Since I'm posting pictures
these are the three from two weeks ago...fully 4 times bigger than when they hatched.


@KikisGirls you mentioned eggs with black on the shell at one of the Asian markets. The Cayuga eggs have a black bloom that gives the eggs a mottled look. This bloom can be wiped off to show the white shell underneath. Is this what you saw?

 

[Kiki]

I candled mine last night! It was day 10 and I was able to see some movement in all the good eggs. And some babies were very very wiggly!!!! It was amazing Tried to take photos but failed

Anyone got any tips on taking candling pics? Kiki, did you find video easier than photos?

Yes I think the videos were easier that photos...it's harder for some reason to get my phone to focus in the dark for the photos.

 

[Kiki]

Use two candlers. I can rest the egg on the bottom one, hold it with the top one and snap the picture with the free hand

I did that in this video

Awesome idea!!

 

[Kiki]

Okay..I'm back with progress pictures...the ducklings are hatching. we have about 9 pip holes and several more rocking AND one baby out of the shell!
Thru the window you can see a few of the pip holes...
View attachment 1343922

And a quickie shot when I added more wet cloths. There is the hatchlin hiding on the right side and a clear duck bill in the hole in the egg in front.
View attachment 1343924

Since I'm posting pictures
these are the three from two weeks ago...fully 4 times bigger than when they hatched.
View attachment 1343928

@KikisGirls you mentioned eggs with black on the shell at one of the Asian markets. The Cayuga eggs have a black bloom that gives the eggs a mottled look. This bloom can be wiped off to show the white shell underneath. Is this what you saw?
View attachment 1343956

Awe...coming on out little duckies! Woot.


No I was not seeing that. I was seeing the egg turning dark grey...dead grey.

 

[NanaKat]

And I noticed I didn't answer your question about whether I have an incubator in the barn....no.
The incubators are in our bonus room with the hot tub.
I keep all my tropicals in there in the winter and also the big cabinet incubator which holds up to 8 trays for eggs and the three Hovabators.
I use one Hovabator as a hatcher if needed like for the ducklings and I slide a covered egg tray on the floor of the cabinet incubator.
Each tray in the cabinet can hold up to 108 eggs allowing me to do staggered hatches. I use only three trays...I don't have enough birds to lay enough eggs to fill that cabinet.
My husband is very thankful for that.

 

[Kiki]

And I noticed I didn't answer your question about whether I have an incubator in the barn....no.
The incubators are in our bonus room with the hot tub.
I keep all my tropicals in there in the winter and also the big cabinet incubator which holds up to 8 trays for eggs and the three Hovabators.
I use one Hovabator as a hatcher if needed like for the ducklings and I slide a covered egg tray on the floor of the cabinet incubator.
Each tray in the cabinet can hold up to 108 eggs allowing me to do staggered hatches. I use only three trays...I don't have enough birds to lay enough eggs to fill that cabinet.
My husband is very thankful for that.

108! Oh my. I can't imagine.

 

[RodNTN]

What's happening?