Ducky Dilema

[JetDoc750]

Hi and Help! we have 2 duck hens that that hatched 13 ducklings out of 22 eggs Thursday into Saturday morning. So today I went to clean out the coop nest area since they girls had the babies out play in the run. I noticed two of the eggs had pip holes in them. I assumed the babies had died since the eggs were all cool to touch. Well a few minutes ago I heard peeps from inside those two and several others so we put them back in. But the hens are not paying attention. Should we step in and play Mama?, should we leave them to the girls and hope they take on the job?

 

[Isaac 0]

If they were mine I would set them in an incubator (If possible) reason being, if they were left out for a while some shrink-wrapping may be going on, the other problem is the hens will be moving around a lot since they have babies. Once in the incubator, you will be able to closely monitor/maintain the eggs and assist if needed.

 

[Isaac 0]

I always set late hatchers in the incubator, usually, the mother is off the nest too much during a critical time of incubation.

 

[JetDoc750]

We dont have an incubator. We relied on the hens to do the work.

 

[Isaac 0]

Block the nest so the hens can't get off the eggs then.

 

[JetDoc750]

we found directions an emergency home made incubator. eggs are in it now.

 

[Isaac 0]

Ok, what's the humidity at?

 

[JetDoc750]

I have no way to measure it.

 

[Isaac 0]

Yeah, that's a problem, they need to have around 70% humidity during hatch, can you get a hydrometer or borrow someones who has one?

 

[JetDoc750]