EDUCATIONAL INCUBATION & HATCHING CHAT THREAD, w/ Sally Sunshine Shipped Eggs

[BigWeenMachine]

Hi, we have 42 duck eggs in the incubator that finished 28 days about 3 hours ago. The first one hatched last night, roughly 17 hours ago and we have 13 total that are out, with probably at least a dozen that are pipped and should be hatching soon. Many of them, however, are either taking their sweet time or not going to hatch so my question is how long can they stay in there without food or water?

I've never had this many eggs reach lockdown before and I have assisted in the past and been able to keep the humidity level decent while doing so. I know if I open it up now and start pulling ducklings and shells out that it will most definitely shrink wrap them cos it will take me awhile so I don't wanna do that. I also don't want babies being stuck in there too long without food or water either so i guess I'm trying to find the right time to move em to the brooder.

 

[BantyChooks]

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it"
Right or wrong, whatever you did the 1st time gave you a 100% hatch; hard to get much better than that.
Nobody's going to fire you if you miss the candling schedule by a day one way or the other; don't fret.

X2. All those numbers are general guidelines.

Hi, we have 42 duck eggs in the incubator that finished 28 days about 3 hours ago.  The first one hatched last night, roughly 17 hours ago and we have 13 total that are out, with probably at least a dozen that are pipped and should be hatching soon.  Many of them, however, are either taking their sweet time or not going to hatch so my question is how long can they stay in there without food or water?  

I've never had this many eggs reach lockdown before and I have assisted in the past and been able to keep the humidity level decent while doing so.  I know if I open it up now and start pulling ducklings and shells out that it will most definitely shrink wrap them cos it will take me awhile so I don't wanna do that. I also don't want babies being stuck in there too long without food or water either so i guess I'm trying to find the right time to move em to the brooder.

48 hours is generally agreed upon. Some say later is okay.

 

[Laodicia]

Im just worried about malpositions at hatch. I helped 2 of my first batch which only had 3 eggs....

 

[BantyChooks]

Im just worried about malpositions at hatch. I helped 2 of my first batch which only had 3 eggs.... 

Don't tell CC, but I candle whenever I jolly well feel like it, and I haven't seen a difference in them vs the batches I was hands-off on. If it gives you peace of mind, you can wait, but if there's a way you can candle w/o taking them out of the turner I doubt anyone could find a problem with that.

 

[dan26552]

Banty, I'm going to set about 30 eggs tomorrow.

 

[BantyChooks]

Banty, I'm going to set about 30 eggs tomorrow.

Ducks?

 

[BigWeenMachine]

Don't tell CC, but I candle whenever I jolly well feel like it, and I haven't seen a difference in them vs the batches I was hands-off on. If it gives you peace of mind, you can wait, but if there's a way you can candle w/o taking them out of the turner I doubt anyone could find a problem with that.

I was candling mine without picking them up. Just turn all the lights off and take a good flashlight and shine it against the top of the eggs to make sure they are developing. The only ones I picked up were the ones I was unsure of to get a better look.

 

[BigWeenMachine]

And, of course when they get farther along you may hafta pick them up to see better but with my duck eggs I think I coulda candled for almost 3 weeks without handling them. I only candled twice this time though.

 

[campingshaws]

Lookie here! Leghorns, giant cochin, guinea, and finally a banty cochin egg!! e

 

[dan26552]

Ducks?

Well what else would I set? Guineas aren't laying yet.