Call and appleyard duck incubation

[marlieshai]

I just incubated 6 eggs. All were fertile. Mix of call, appleyard or a cross between the two. Only 2 made it, they both needed assisted hatching, I had to assist them out of the egg completely. They are 2/3 days old and absolutely thriving!!

The other 4 ducklings were still moving on day 28 but absolutely no internal pips, so I didn't intervene. Unfortunately they didn't make it, and upon opening I noticed that they had not absorbed their yolk and they were the wrong way around.

I now have 12 more eggs. I've put 4 in one incubator and 8 in another just incase it's a problem with the incubator and levels dropping. I have 3 thermometers in there at the moment. Showing around 37.5 degrees and 44% humidity.

I personally thunk last time my humidity was far too high. Should I put my eggs into lockdown on day 23 or day 25?

I manually turn them 5 times a day. I've heard multiple things about the way to turn them. The pointy end facing downwards slightly, and rotating them the same way every time?

Any advice? Any reason why they just wasn't the right way? I really don't want the same thing to happen

 

[nchls school]

I just incubated 6 eggs. All were fertile. Mix of call, appleyard or a cross between the two. Only 2 made it, they both needed assisted hatching, I had to assist them out of the egg completely. They are 2/3 days old and absolutely thriving!!
View attachment 3117075
The other 4 ducklings were still moving on day 28 but absolutely no internal pips, so I didn't intervene. Unfortunately they didn't make it, and upon opening I noticed that they had not absorbed their yolk and they were the wrong way around.

I now have 12 more eggs. I've put 4 in one incubator and 8 in another just incase it's a problem with the incubator and levels dropping. I have 3 thermometers in there at the moment. Showing around 37.5 degrees and 44% humidity.

I personally thunk last time my humidity was far too high. Should I put my eggs into lockdown on day 23 or day 25?

I manually turn them 5 times a day. I've heard multiple things about the way to turn them. The pointy end facing downwards slightly, and rotating them the same way every time?

Any advice? Any reason why they just wasn't the right way? I really don't want the same thing to happen

I raise call ducks. This breed has been so modified by selective breeding that many ducklings are unable to hatch on their own. Through selective breeding the bill of calls is much shorter. This short bill makes it hard for the ducklings to hatch on their own. With my last hatch of 15, only two hatched independently. I assisted the other 13 in hatching. One duckling died giving me 12 healthy ducklings plus the two-14 healthy babies.

My incubator is set at 38 C, so consider increasing your temperature. As for turning, I just manually turn the eggs in no specific way 3 to 4 times a day. Call eggs have problems hatching whether they are in an incubator, under the duck, or under a broody hen; it just goes with the breed. If the parent stock has the short, tiny bill, chances are good that their offspring will need an assist in hatching.

 

[marlieshai]

I raise call ducks. This breed has been so modified by selective breeding that many ducklings are unable to hatch on their own. Through selective breeding the bill of calls is much shorter. This short bill makes it hard for the ducklings to hatch on their own. With my last hatch of 15, only two hatched independently. I assisted the other 13 in hatching. One duckling died giving me 12 healthy ducklings plus the two-14 healthy babies.

My incubator is set at 38 C, so consider increasing your temperature. As for turning, I just manually turn the eggs in no specific way 3 to 4 times a day. Call eggs have problems hatching whether they are in an incubator, under the duck, or under a broody hen; it just goes with the breed. If the parent stock has the short, tiny bill, chances are good that their offspring will need an assist in hatching.

Thank you, this is really helpful. I usually do chickens, so this is all new to me! What day does lockdown start? I've read multiple different things.

 

[nchls school]

Thank you, this is really helpful. I usually do chickens, so this is all new to me! What day does lockdown start? I've read multiple different things.

My calls hatch consistently on day 26 whether it is the incubator or under a bird.
Lockdown on the evening of day 23 or day 24. If yours hatch on day 28 then lockdown on day 25 or 26.