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

[Kiki]

@ChickenCanoe and @R2elk this is all fascinating stuff. From what you both have said it sounds as if hatch rate will be higher with eggs from birds that live at altitude already (so my own flock or someone local) vs. purchasing shipped eggs from a significantly different/lower elevation, compounded by the typical loss from shipped eggs anyway. I wonder if there are troubles the other way around... so the layers and eggs come from high altitude and are shipped down to and incubated/hatched at sea level...

This is very interesting.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

Do ducks lay eggs all the time like chickens? I’ve heard geese, even domestic, lay seasonally. Tell me a little about quackers. I’m curious.

 

[RUNuts]

From what little I know, some domestic ducks have been developed (selected) to lay like chickens (most of the year). Wild ducks are seasonal? Similar to chickens, you have wild, meat and egg layer varieties.

I agree. I will have ducks. Eventually. Sometime in the future.

 

[RUNuts]

So concerning Milk Drinkers and flashlights. 2 of the best Christmas gifts we bought one year were 4 refrigerator boxes. Taped them end to end like a hamster habit trails what ever. Put the Christmas gifts inside. Each kid had a flashlight in the stocking.

The only downside, I couldn't walk in the living room until it warmed up enough to move the boxes outside. I was out voted. But we had a good time that year. Went through a lot of flashlight batteries.

They got the markers and decorated their boxes. Cut holes for windows and doors. We even took a couple of naps inside.

After that I stand by the statement that kids only need flashlights and boxes for gifts.

 

[debid]

So concerning Milk Drinkers and flashlights. 2 of the best Christmas gifts we bought one year were 4 refrigerator boxes. Taped them end to end like a hamster habit trails what ever. Put the Christmas gifts inside. Each kid had a flashlight in the stocking.

The only downside, I couldn't walk in the living room until it warmed up enough to move the boxes outside. I was out voted. But we had a good time that year. Went through a lot of flashlight batteries.

They got the markers and decorated their boxes. Cut holes for windows and doors. We even took a couple of naps inside.

After that I stand by the statement that kids only need flashlights and boxes for gifts.

Deep down, we're all boxtrolls.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

This is correct.

This is backwards. I find hatching at a mile high requires lower humidity (30%) during incubation period and ventilation definitely needs to be increased especially during lockdown to increase available oxygen.

Hatching local eggs works well, hatching eggs from lower elevations can be very trying.

You must hatch local eggs. I've only worked with chickens from near sea level to about 2,000' but I would never incubate at 50% or 65% humidity. I just used those numbers to demonstrate how molecules (O2, CO2, H2O, et al) move across membranes faster in thinner air and the need to compensate for that moisture loss.
Oxygen needs to be increased at elevation but increasing ventilation contributes to that moisture loss.
Regardless of elevation, all air contains 21% oxygen. At elevation, air pressure is lower.
Increasing ventilation partially compensates but not enough to overcome the negative of excess moisture loss. The best bet is to increase oxygen without increasing ventilation by use of an oxygen concentrator or generator.
I've been studying this for some time from the perspective of scientific research I found at commercial poultry and incubation companies like Pas Reform, The Poultry Site and Aviagen.
I've only been incubating poultry at this elevation but I've worked with psittaciformes at high elevation and plan on working with chickens there as well. I've even considered utilizing a hatchery at lower elevation to compensate so oxygen generation wouldn't be necessary.

 

[Runt of the Flock]

im honestly kinda grossed out

 

[Runt of the Flock]

*shudders*

 

[ChickenCanoe]

im honestly kinda grossed out

Personally, I wouldn't eat one. Fresh eggs are just fine.
If I was trying to survive in the wild, I may but today I'm not.
All sorts of predators eat balut eggs all the time.

 

[ChickNanny13]

I have learned something new today! Thank you for sharing your experience

Everyday on this site is a learning experience

You must hatch local eggs. I've only worked with chickens from near sea level to about 2,000' but I would never incubate at 50% or 65% humidity. I just used those numbers to demonstrate how molecules (O2, CO2, H2O, et al) move across membranes faster in thinner air and the need to compensate for that moisture loss.
Oxygen needs to be increased at elevation but increasing ventilation contributes to that moisture loss.
Regardless of elevation, all air contains 21% oxygen. At elevation, air pressure is lower.
Increasing ventilation partially compensates but not enough to overcome the negative of excess moisture loss. The best bet is to increase oxygen without increasing ventilation by use of an oxygen concentrator or generator.
I've been studying this for some time from the perspective of scientific research I found at commercial poultry and incubation companies like Pas Reform, The Poultry Site and Aviagen.
I've only been incubating poultry at this elevation but I've worked with psittaciformes at high elevation and plan on working with chickens there as well. I've even considered utilizing a hatchery at lower elevation to compensate so oxygen generation wouldn't be necessary.

Wow, never thought of elevation having anything to do with hatching but it does make sense ...