ihatedarkroast
Songster
Hi. My broody hen hatched 3 ducklings last night or this morning. They appear healthy. She seems to be mothering them well. If I need to look out for anything with them let me know.
The problem is she left some eggs behind. Most were empty/unfertilized. Three were developed by cold and silent. There is 1 duck egg where I can hear a tap tap tap inside. I put it in a tupperware on a heating pad set to medium temperature with a sake/japanease tea cup of water.
I don't have an incubator. I have a heat lamp I use for a brooder. I could set up a brooder box in a tote. I'm worried about the heating pad cycling off after 4 hours and me not knowing. But if I use a heat lamp, it will dry the egg out. Should I wrap a damp washcloth around the egg?
Also, I have to drive to another city after church to visit my mother in law because my husband's uncle passed away yesterday. Should I take the egg with me or leave it home? Maybe I can take it with me to church and then leave it with my parents to babysit?
I think if it hatches I will have to take the ducklings from mama hen and put them all together in a brooder to keep each other company? Since I don't know if the mama broody hen will accept a late comer?
On top of everything, I had a broody duck sitting on more eggs who vanished in the night. I'm really upset. We forgot to close the coop door because of the sudden death in the family. We were so exhausted from all the stuff we've had to deal with.
The problem is she left some eggs behind. Most were empty/unfertilized. Three were developed by cold and silent. There is 1 duck egg where I can hear a tap tap tap inside. I put it in a tupperware on a heating pad set to medium temperature with a sake/japanease tea cup of water.
I don't have an incubator. I have a heat lamp I use for a brooder. I could set up a brooder box in a tote. I'm worried about the heating pad cycling off after 4 hours and me not knowing. But if I use a heat lamp, it will dry the egg out. Should I wrap a damp washcloth around the egg?
Also, I have to drive to another city after church to visit my mother in law because my husband's uncle passed away yesterday. Should I take the egg with me or leave it home? Maybe I can take it with me to church and then leave it with my parents to babysit?
I think if it hatches I will have to take the ducklings from mama hen and put them all together in a brooder to keep each other company? Since I don't know if the mama broody hen will accept a late comer?
On top of everything, I had a broody duck sitting on more eggs who vanished in the night. I'm really upset. We forgot to close the coop door because of the sudden death in the family. We were so exhausted from all the stuff we've had to deal with.
