ANYONE HAVE EGGS DUE!! CHARTS ON PAGE ONE POST ONE!! NEWCOMERS WELCOME!!!

[G9inwonderland]

The hatching calender is great! I'm going to print and tape it by the incubator. =)

I'm new to hatching chicks, but I have raised plently.
I have a quick question.

Is it ok to open the incubator often, to candle, or put in water, or even slip in a humidity thermometer?

I was reading a lot of articles and books and it seemed like it should be closed for the duration of the 21 days.

Is it ok and how often is it ok to open the incubator? Do you open and grab the egg you want and close it quickly?

Thanks in advance!

New to the site as well, lots of information. But it would be nice to have one on one "mentoring"

 

[ducklover700]

You don't want to open it unless you need to, however that being said, I open mine a minimum of three times a day because I turn my eggs 3 times, and then usually another time or two when the humidity/temp is too high or when I have to add water to my sponge. I wouldn't worry about it too much, just try not to open it, or leave it open too much and too often. It's during lock down where you're never suppose to open it. (unless you have a case where you have to help an egg but that's another story)

 

[ducklover700]

BTW my Ancona eggs are on day 19 tonight, and I am about to candle them! They'll be going into lock down on Monday at 10.30 Hopefully, I'll have nine beautiful ducklings hatching out healthy, and happy!

 

[SouthernChicka8]

I have a dozen set for monday the 2nd. They are gonna be japanese black tailed bantams. Before that I hatched out 9 silkies out of 12. Hoping for a high percentage on the bantams.

 

[stephanie1992]

I have a dozen set for monday the 2nd. They are gonna be japanese black tailed bantams. Before that I hatched out 9 silkies out of 12. Hoping for a high percentage on the bantams.

keep posted on how they do!!!!!!

 

[ducklover700]

So, I candled my duck eggs tonight (day 20 technically now that it's after midnight candled on day 19) and even though I was expecting there to be differences from day 15 obviously, however once I candled them all of them are very dark, as in I can't see anything but the air cell, and a little bit of veining. I went and looked at Metzer's egg candling chart, and my eggs are more like day 22. so they're like 2 to 3 days ahead of where they should be. I'm wondering if I should be concerned? or if they're possibly just early babies? I'm really worried that they will try to hatch sooner then they're ready!

ETA: false alarm everybody! turns out my candling light was going dead. all is well.

 

[spiderlady]

Well my one baby duck I think is going to make it

It turns out the extra cooling early on (from mom leaving the nest for hours at a time) set him back more than I had thought. I opened up the egg halfway to help him out, but he was still preemie. There was yolk in the egg still and his eyes were closed. Other than chirping and occasional wiggling, he pretty much just layed there. For two whole days. I figured I totally screwed it up and he would just die,

... but I kept him warm under a heat lamp wrapped up in a moist towel, and this morning he decided he was ready to crawl out of his egg butt (Only his butt was still in the shell and he was attached with the umbilical.. looked funny), and opened his eyes and is starting to wobble around a little. He can't walk yet, but he can lift his head for a while and chirp and look around and is starting to fluff out (I stopped wetting the towel at this point). Mostly he still just is sleeping though and recuperating, but I think he is going to be OK. Will feel better once he starts eating.

SO, lesson learned I guess! Wait until the egg has at least been peeping for several days and trying before busting it out... When the rest of this clutch goes past "due" to hatch this weekend, I think I will just be patient, as they will probably be delayed as well. Hopefully the others will be a little better off though because they were in the incubator more time than under the mother and they look like they haven't dehydrated as much (this guy only filled like half the egg).

 

[ambrosia]

My Leghorn broody is sitting on four eggs... the other three got smashed so I moved her...

I have a PIP!!!! I candled last nite, and have one late quitter, but I should get three little fuzzy butts today! Yay!!! (just had to tell someone lol)

 

[stephanie1992]

My Leghorn broody is sitting on four eggs... the other three got smashed so I moved her...

I have a PIP!!!! I candled last nite, and have one late quitter, but I should get three little fuzzy butts today! Yay!!! (just had to tell someone lol)

Well my one baby duck I think is going to make it

It turns out the extra cooling early on (from mom leaving the nest for hours at a time) set him back more than I had thought. I opened up the egg halfway to help him out, but he was still preemie. There was yolk in the egg still and his eyes were closed. Other than chirping and occasional wiggling, he pretty much just layed there. For two whole days. I figured I totally screwed it up and he would just die,

... but I kept him warm under a heat lamp wrapped up in a moist towel, and this morning he decided he was ready to crawl out of his egg butt (Only his butt was still in the shell and he was attached with the umbilical.. looked funny), and opened his eyes and is starting to wobble around a little. He can't walk yet, but he can lift his head for a while and chirp and look around and is starting to fluff out (I stopped wetting the towel at this point). Mostly he still just is sleeping though and recuperating, but I think he is going to be OK. Will feel better once he starts eating.

SO, lesson learned I guess! Wait until the egg has at least been peeping for several days and trying before busting it out... When the rest of this clutch goes past "due" to hatch this weekend, I think I will just be patient, as they will probably be delayed as well. Hopefully the others will be a little better off though because they were in the incubator more time than under the mother and they look like they haven't dehydrated as much (this guy only filled like half the egg).

So, I candled my duck eggs tonight (day 20 technically now that it's after midnight candled on day 19) and even though I was expecting there to be differences from day 15 obviously, however once I candled them all of them are very dark, as in I can't see anything but the air cell, and a little bit of veining. I went and looked at Metzer's egg candling chart, and my eggs are more like day 22. so they're like 2 to 3 days ahead of where they should be. I'm wondering if I should be concerned? or if they're possibly just early babies? I'm really worried that they will try to hatch sooner then they're ready!

ETA: false alarm everybody! turns out my candling light was going dead. all is well.

Good to hear everythings ok. my eggs dont go in lockdown till saturday. Seems like its taking forever lol. Im actully not sure excatly what day they go on lockdown. i forgot what day i set them, but im keeping an eye on them. so far so good. Happy to hear the baby duck is going to make it!!

 

[spiderlady]

I have a PIP!!!!

YAY !!

You will be staring at eggs for the next many hours, LOL. Congrats, and hope all goes smoothly!

Happy to hear the baby duck is going to make it!!

Yes he (well it I suppose) is doing good and finally just had his first bit of food. He couldn't handle the regular chick starter cuz it was too big, so i broke it up a little more with a mortar and pestle and he finally got a bite down. =) Still after any amount of movement he is exhausted and just lies with his head stretched out to rest most of the time. I would post pics but I can't figure out how to get them off my phone (yeah, I'm technologically impaired I know).