Come hatch along with us!!! Last sets of the year! 10-18 to 11-7

[LissyB]

The light in my incubator burned out last night, I don't know when. The humidity went way up, and the temp dropped to 60. Now we have another light-bulb in there and the temp is slowly rising (now at 84) and the humidity has dropped to 54! I don't know what to do about the humidity. We already have 3 containers of water in there with sponges and paper towels, and don't have room for anymore. Will the duck live? IDK what to, should I mist him?

 

[SilverDuck284]

A chick begins to generate its own heat near the end of incubation, I wouldn't worry too much about temp. I am more concerned that your guy is 4 days overdue. Has he pipped so he can breath? Were temps a little low through incubation? That could explain a late hatch..

If it hasn't pipped, personally, I would poke a little hole in the air cell big enough to see into. If you see movement, put it back and leave him be.

 

[maryhysong]

SUCESS!!!! Ultra-Bator mk I operational!!!!!. Not turners yet of course and currently just using light bulbs for heat. Timing the heating cycle right now

UPDATE: Holds temp freaking amazingly. 180w of lights is not enough for responsive control of the temp and recovery of said temps. Takes about 90 seconds per degree of increase. To me that is too slugish. I will try bigger bulbs just to see if jumping to 300w makes a difference or not. In theory i could add another bulb or even 2, but honestly the bulbs are temp for me to play around with it. Going to order 225w heating elements for permanent heat source.

not being electronically gifted (I'm afraid of electricity, one of the few things I don't just jump into with both feet; if I have to fix a switch or outlet I turn off all the electric to the whole house and still my hands sweat and shake the whole time!) I'm a bit leary of trying to make my own bator. Are there any step by step sites I could look at? I have one of those tiny refrigerators that you use in a college dorm and such, was thinking it could become a bator. Thinking about measuring it and seeing if commercial egg turners would fit into it.

 

[LissyB]

Quote:
Thanks! What should I poke the hole with?

 

[kizanne]

Thanks! What should I poke the hole with?

For my chicken eggs I have a sharp pair of tweezers. You want to get a hole but you don't want to poke something sharp into the duck.

Use a flash light to locate the air sac and then use anything sharp enough to get into the shell but not go deep.

You don't happen to have a Breakfast on a Bun maker do you? it has a tool for poking a hole in an egg so that when it is steamed it doesn't crack everywhere. That thing would be perfect because it limits depth.

 

[LissyB]

No I don't have the breakfast in a bun thingy. I will try the tweezers. First time doing this sooo... wish me luck!

I'll do it when my brother gets home though, he'll help!

 

[Roxannemc]

That's why these hatch threads are so much fun. You get to make new friends and you learn a lot from what happens during everyone's hatches.

X2

 

[LissyB]

Temps back up! Humidity is still way down though, around 60%. I will spray him though. He isn't as dark as he was last night, I'm seeing this without candling. Does this mean he will hatch soon?

 

[kizanne]

Is he moving? or making noise? I don't know if ducks make a noise. chicks will often peep after they have internally pipped.

 

[kizanne]

LissyB how long have you been incubating your duck egg?