Condensation on Windows?

[msheets]

There's a small amount of condensation on my incubator's windows, is that bad? I've heard it's not good but why & what can it cause? I have duck eggs on day 2 of lockdown, the humidity varies from 60-65% & I'm using a wet washcloth to keep it up. The eggs have been rocking for 2 days without even pipping...

 

[FenDruadin]

Personally, I wouldn't worry about it. There is always condensation on my windows during the hatch. In fact, I TRY to get the humidity high enough to cause condensation. I have good hatches usually. In fact, there are 17 quail in the brooder and another 22 pipped and/or zipping in the bator right now. I just finished a hatch of ducks not too long ago--that's what I usually hatch--and unless my air cells are underdeveloped (another issue entirely), I generally have 85-95% hatches with condensation on the windows throughout.

I think folks worry about the moisture condensing inside the shells and drowning the babies, but I've never had that happen.

 

[msheets]

Thanks, that makes me feel better! How long after the eggs start rocking should I be worried if they're not pipping? They're not even due until tomorrow but I was just worried since they've been rocking for a couple days now & still haven't pipped...is 65% high enough for ducks? I'm having a hard time getting it higher than that...

 

[FenDruadin]

I'm not sure about rocking--I incubate in a turner & hatch in cartons, so mine never really rock. From the time that I candle and see bills in the air cell, it's 24 hours to the pip (give or take).

Do you have any idea what your air cells look like? If they haven't pipped, you can still candle--they don't need the high humidity until the first one breaks through the shell. If the bill is in the air cell (you'll see a very distinct shadow in the air cell), you've got 24 hours or so. If not, then you've still got a while. They can be a few days late.

Sorry I don't know timing on the rocking...

Good luck, anyway! Sounds promising so far!

 

[FenDruadin]

Forgot to add--the humidity will go up as they hatch, but if there is condensation on the windows then you have nothing to fear. Your hygrometer may be off--condensation usually indicates a very high humidity. Anyway, what you're worrying about is membranes drying out and causing the babies to stick to the shell, and that is not going to happen if moisture is condensating on surfaces.

 

[SweetMotherOfMars]

Curiosity cat is right, it's normal - especially during lockdown.

If you want to be able to see through the window you can put a folded child's blanket or something insulating over the glass.
We keep a blanket there to keep the glass warm so there is less condensation.

Flip it back to watch or take photos, just remember to put it back when you finish.

Best of luck on your hatch!

 

[msheets]

Ok that was interesting, I candled them to try & see what was going on. I can see them kicking & dancing in their shells but there is still quite a bit of veining. The shell isn't like I would have thought, I figured pretty much the entire shell would be black from the duck with just the aircell being clear but there's still a good bit of room (yolk?) in there...hmm I'm confused now! Thanks for the replies, I really appreciate it!!

 

[FenDruadin]

Hmmm... How large are your air cells as a percentage of the volume of the egg? Ideally, you want them to fill up about 1/3 the space of the egg. Don't panic if they don't, but use it as a reference point. If the air cell is small, they will take longer to fill up the egg.

It sounds to me, though, like they are going to be late hatchers. Perhaps your temps were lower than you thought during incubation. It's not a problem at all for them to hatch. But if the air cells are small and there's a lot of veining still visible, you should probably lower your humidity back down to incubation levels. If they are *very* small, then you may want to try drastic measures, such as lowering the humidity into the teens or so. Larger air cells make for better hatches.

Candle daily and lock down when you see little bills poking into the air cell.

I'll be up for a while--waiting on quail to dry out and be ready to move to the brooder--I don't like to leave them where they can goop up the other eggs all night--so I'm happy to talk you through this for a bit--

 

[chickeepoo]

What kind of duck eggs do you have on lockdown, and when did you start incubating? I've been watching/ waiting on orphaned muscovy eggs for almost 2 weeks, and the first one finally broke out earlier yesterday, followed by the next one at 11:30pm. We could hear peeping and tapping, but it took days for the first one to pip and then finally break the eggshell. These have a longer incubation time, maybe that's why… thankfully a BYCer with years of duck hatching experience has been online with me daily to help me get through this… and to keep me from intervening when I thought it MUST be too late for them!

*Curiousitycat, do you take the other ducklings out of the bator, so they won't trample/roll the other eggs that are trying to pip, and put them in the brooder, or leave them so the ducklings in the eggs left behind can hear them peeping and get encouraged to keep pecking?

 

[FenDruadin]

Good point, chickee--how many days have they been in the incubator? If they're mallard derivatives (runners, pekins, etc.) they go 28 days. If they're muscovies, they go 35 (I think... never hatched scovies...). If they're still kicking around in there, they may not be "ripe" yet...