Okay it was a YouTube video I watched at some point. Should also say these are welsh harlequin
Awwww soooo cuteI just hatched 6 ducklings and 11 chicks, my most successful hatch ever. This is what I learned:
1. Humidity, humidity, humidity! It is a problem too high as well as too low. My area's humidity is naturally high. I used to add lots of water to the incubator (thinking I was helping) but it prevented the eggs from losing enough water for my ducklings and chicks to hatch. They would make it to the last week and then several would die! This time I monitored the humidity carefully and all six hatched. This link explains how to do it: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/incubation-humidity.73386/ . Follow it! I did mist mine lightly as recommended.
2. Timing. As you probably know, duck incubation is 28 days, chickens only 21. I set my duck eggs, waited a week and then set my chicken eggs. That way everyone was locked down at the same time and I wasn't opening and closing the the incubator all the time. Ducklings are MUCH slower to hatch. My eggs all piped on the morning of day 26 but didn't hatch until late in the day on day 28 (one waited until the next morning). So, don't become alarmed (like I did) when they haven't hatched 24 hours after piping or take hours to actually hatch. The chickens seem to pip, take a nap, then hatch quickly.
I hope all goes well with your hatching. It is sooo much fun! There are some kind people on the hatching forum who will hold your hand through it, especially when it seems like the ducklings will never hatch
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I just hatched 6 ducklings and 11 chicks, my most successful hatch ever. This is what I learned:
1. Humidity, humidity, humidity! It is a problem too high as well as too low. My area's humidity is naturally high. I used to add lots of water to the incubator (thinking I was helping) but it prevented the eggs from losing enough water for my ducklings and chicks to hatch. They would make it to the last week and then several would die! This time I monitored the humidity carefully and all six hatched. This link explains how to do it: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/incubation-humidity.73386/ . Follow it! I did mist mine lightly as recommended.
2. Timing. As you probably know, duck incubation is 28 days, chickens only 21. I set my duck eggs, waited a week and then set my chicken eggs. That way everyone was locked down at the same time and I wasn't opening and closing the the incubator all the time. Ducklings are MUCH slower to hatch. My eggs all piped on the morning of day 26 but didn't hatch until late in the day on day 28 (one waited until the next morning). So, don't become alarmed (like I did) when they haven't hatched 24 hours after piping or take hours to actually hatch. The chickens seem to pip, take a nap, then hatch quickly.
I hope all goes well with your hatching. It is sooo much fun! There are some kind people on the hatching forum who will hold your hand through it, especially when it seems like the ducklings will never hatch
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