April Hatch-Along!!!!!!! Whos with me?????

[ChicagoDucks]

I have a home-made incubator. Maybe it isn't the best device in the world, and I worry all the time that its quirky personality is going to kill my ducklings. I've been through two thermostats on it, and I've made some other adjustments. I am hesitant to tell you that my incubator works well, because I have 8 eggs in lockdown and I don't want to jinx the hatch. The egg in this photo hatched into a healthy duckling about 5 weeks ago.



I am telling you all of this, because my worrying personality made me study how my incubator really works. I put a bunch of different thermometers and hygrometers in the incubator (in different spots), and every 30 seconds, I'd jot down all of the readings. Here is what I came up with:

My incubator runs on about a 17 or 18 minute cycle. The temperature falls, the thermostat kicks on, the heating elements heat up, then the thermostat kicks off, the heating elements dissipate heat until they cool down, then when the incubator cools enough, the cycle starts over. You can see why this thing could drive me crazy. But I know the average temperature, and I know how long it is too hot, and how long it is too cold.

So maybe your incubator cycles like mine? What kind is it? I know I felt a lot better about the temperature readings I was seeing after I had figured out how the incubator cycled.

You're right. Besides the normal diffuse look of an older embryo (btw - how long do they stay "embryos" anyway?) my flashlight batteries needed a recharge. I did a full candle & purge of the bantam clears & quitters last night and ended up with 5 of the 16 being pretty clearly viable - the same number I thought I probably had the day before the temp dipped. And the one that had been in question had de-veined enough to be sure that it was time for it to go, too.

Then, after the incubator being totally stable all night long last night, we left the house for a few hours today and came home to 105 degrees. Ack! what the heck? The room temp has been between 70 and 72 this whole time, so that can't be the problem. I'm just hoping that it hadn't been that hot long enough to do much damage.
How long does it take to see if you've baked the poor ducklings? I peeked at a couple this evening and could see movement in one of the older eggs and heartbeats in a newer one, but also saw a couple of questionable eggs. Then again, I haven't gone through the newer batch in any systematic way, so I don't know whether those eggs were ones that were already seeming pretty unlikely.

Christy

 

[hfchristy]

My incubator runs on about a 17 or 18 minute cycle. The temperature falls, the thermostat kicks on, the heating elements heat up, then the thermostat kicks off, the heating elements dissipate heat until they cool down, then when the incubator cools enough, the cycle starts over. You can see why this thing could drive me crazy. But I know the average temperature, and I know how long it is too hot, and how long it is too cold.

So maybe your incubator cycles like mine? What kind is it? I know I felt a lot better about the temperature readings I was seeing after I had figured out how the incubator cycled.

Thanks!
I have the basic no-frills, no fan, no turner styrofoam Little Giant. And an assortment of thermometers that all read different temps. except when the don't. driving me nuts. I don't think it's a cycle thing, issue, though, since the one thermometer that I have set up to be easily read from across the room will go for hours at a time without changing. Maybe even though it's not in the path of the sunlight coming in through the window it still gets heat from it?

In any case, I've come to the realization that beginner's luck only works because you're too clueless to know you're doing everything wrong and you don't fuss and research and second guess every little thing until you're too confused to do anything right.
So, I'm working on just assuming that all is well, and claiming the Beginner's Luck that is rightfully mine.

Will candle the rest of the eggs tomorrow night (and not before) and see what I've got.

Christy

 

[ChicagoDucks]

I love your philosophy of beginner's luck. Anybody who is trying something new should embrace that attitude! Just jump in and do it. Good luck and let us know how the candling goes!

In any case, I've come to the realization that beginner's luck only works because you're too clueless to know you're doing everything wrong and you don't fuss and research and second guess every little thing until you're too confused to do anything right.
So, I'm working on just assuming that all is well, and claiming the Beginner's Luck that is rightfully mine.

 

[ChicagoDucks]

OK. Just checked on my eggs. This morning is day 27.5, due to hatch this evening. 7 of the 8 have externally pipped. The only one that hasn't broken its shell was one of my shipped eggs, and I had a terrible batch of shipped eggs.

Yesterday, I took the incubator and eggs to my daughter's preschool class so that the kids could see the eggs hatch. I was very worried that I would hurt them in transit, but they seem to be OK today. The kids were really excited! It was so much fun to see. One of the 3 year olds looked at the eggs and said "Aren't they cute?!" I love it!

It is amazing how much kids (and grown ups too, for that matter!) love watching eggs hatch. There is something just amazing about seeing a hatchling come out of an egg.

The eggs seem to be progressing well, but I'll post an update this afternoon.

 

[ChicagoDucks]

Update: 4 have hatched so far, 2 Campbells (from shipped eggs), 1 Rouen-Cayuga mix & 1 full-blooded Rouen.

The first one to hatch, hatched to an audience of preschoolers!! So cool.

2 others have good external pips, 1 has pipped on the wrong end, and one humongous Campbell egg hasn't externally pipped yet (but I checked and he is still breathing in there). I'll post photos later today.

 

[Cr8z4ducks]

I have a question...

So the 28th day of my incubation will be this Friday (5/4/12). Should the lock down be tomorrow or Wednesday? And should I reduce the temp at all on the bator? Somewhere I thought I read that you reduce the temp on the last few days of the incubation... I got my brooder finished yesterday and I hope to share a pic with you all, if you like to see it.

 

[ChicagoDucks]

First of all: Yes of course we want to see photos of your brooder!

I've read that you reduce the temp to 98 to 99 and increase humidity to ~70% and stop turning the eggs for the last 3 days-which is what I've done for this hatch and the previous one. I started "lockdown" on Saturday afternoon after I candled to confirm that the eggs had pipped internally.

I am by no means an expert (this is my second hatch, ever!), but I'd say if you hear the "rap, rap, rap" of breathing in the air cell, or see that they've pipped internally on Tuesday, go right ahead and lock them down. If not, then wait for them to develop some more.

What kind of incubator? What has the temp and humidity been? If it has been at a lower temp, it may take them longer to develop.

I have a question...

So the 28th day of my incubation will be this Friday (5/4/12). Should the lock down be tomorrow or Wednesday? And should I reduce the temp at all on the bator? Somewhere I thought I read that you reduce the temp on the last few days of the incubation... I got my brooder finished yesterday and I hope to share a pic with you all, if you like to see it.

 

[Cr8z4ducks]

Oh, great, I'll post pics this afternoon!

I have a little giant incubator, and the temp has been at 99.5. I'm unsure of the humidity, but I've kept water in rings constantly. How will the egg look when they have pipped internally? This is my first ever incubation so it's been trial and error!

 

[ChicagoDucks]

Pete55 has some great hatching guides that show candling:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/491013/goose-incubation-hatching-guide-completed

Here is one of his great photos of internal pipping:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/80310_internal-pipping1.jpg

Here is one that I drew of my first egg when it pipped internally:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/image/id/6645665/width/900/height/900/flags/LL

When you hold an internally pipped egg to your ear you can hear a "rap, rap, rap" which is NOT the duck trying to get out, but the sounds of their first breaths from the air cell.

Oh, great, I'll post pics this afternoon!

I have a little giant incubator, and the temp has been at 99.5. I'm unsure of the humidity, but I've kept water in rings constantly. How will the egg look when they have pipped internally? This is my first ever incubation so it's been trial and error!

 

[ChicagoDucks]

One more hatched at the pre-school. That brings us to 5 good hatches out of 8 eggs, 3 of my eggs, & 2 shipped Campbell eggs.

The duckling that was pipping from the wrong end is having trouble unzipping and leaving the egg. Despite a strong urge to help, I let him be. He's got a big hole that he can get his bill though, so he can breathe just fine. When I looked closely at the egg membranes, I could still see blood vessels, so I decided against opening up the egg. If he's not out in the morning, I may give some assistance.

1 Campbell egg is getting ready to zip any minute now, and the big egg is still not externally pipped, but I still hear breathing from inside. I'll send an update in the morning. In the meantime, here's the photo I promised: