Can I incubate Waterfowl with my Chicken eggs???

[warmfuzzies]

We live in a very dry climate, humidity is less then 24% in our house today. So is incubating them together possible?

Also, i dont have a hatcher, but that would be OK if I just put, say, duck eggs in and then waited a week and added chicken eggs. Right????

 

[BellLisamo]

Quote:
i just did. lol. my one chicken egg that i put in with my 8 duck eggs, HATCHED LAST NIGHT!!! He's having trouble drying, and im assuming its because of the high humidity. My duck eggs are supposed to hatch the 23rd. I kept the humidity in the upper 60-70's and the chick was just fine. The whole drowning a chick thing? Hmmm I have to wonder.... I poked a hole in the chickens air cell to see if there was any water building up before he hatched, there wasnt a drop. Anyyywwaayyss all you can do is give it a try!

 

[92caddy]

I have and will so again.

I have a old redwood bator and in that bator I have had, duck geese, turkey, guinea, pheasant, quail and chicken eggs all at the same time, hatching at the same time. I dont NOT add any water to my bator. I do NOT take the water fowl eggs out to cool or mist. I put the eggs in and walk away til I candle in about 5 to 7 days. I check the bator everyday to make sure it is still running. I dont NOT hatch the eggs in the bator, I put them in a styrofoam bator when they start to pip, keeps the bator from getting dirty and the fuzz from getting in the turner parts. My humidity is always around 30 to 40% and I keep the temp at 101'. Ive always had good hatches.

This works for me, it may not work for someone else.

I think some people fuss way too much over the eggs. Just my thoughts.

I have also hatched all of the above under a good ol chicken hen and she dont cool or mist the geese or duck eggs. ..........

 

[shelleyd2008]

There are many people that do incubate them together, as there are many that have set duck eggs under a chicken hen. I haven't, I always set mine seperately. I have some duck and chickens together now, but the chickens are going to the hatcher today, so the ducks will be getting their humidity increased. Just keep an eye on the air cell for the duck eggs to know if the humidity is okay for them. If the air cell is too big, they need higher humidity.

 

[BellLisamo]

Quote:
Well i'll be dipped in butter and fried on the skillet. I was wondering what all the fuss was about humidity when i was wondering how the heck a hen could be a humidifier all on her own. My husband always likes to remind me that a mother hen doesnt keep a constant temp, she leaves the eggs, comes back.... and so on. So he said i shouldnt worry too much. You never have problems with the poultry getting stuck the the egg inside?

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
Technically, she would cool the eggs every time she gets off to go potty

 

[warmfuzzies]

I will have to try it! My Uncle has ducks, and i will ask him for some when my next batch goes in. Come to think of it, since the higher humidity the last few days wouldnt bother the ducks, maybe I can just stick them all in at the same time and leave the duck eggs through the hatch.

I agree about people making too much of a fuss over them. i did the first time, and this time I am just checking on the temp whenever I walk by, and trying to keep the humidity over 35% or so.

Last time my DH kept saying to leave them alone, they are fine, they do what they are made to do. He's right, like always!