Eggs not floating in the water test

[Caoimhe3210]

For your next time: it would be better not to incubate duck eggs and chicken eggs in the same incubator as they have very different requirements. And chicken eggs do not well with the duck bacteria, they will most probably die during incubation.

Oh wow ok I did not know this!! Thank you. I've just purchased a second incubator so I'll separate them.

 

[LaFleche]

That is good news - and always sanitize thoroughly after and every time before the next incubation.

 

[Caoimhe3210]

That is good news - and always sanitize thoroughly after and every time before the next incubation.

Will do

 

[MGG]

For your next time: it would be better not to incubate duck eggs and chicken eggs in the same incubator as they have very different requirements. And chicken eggs do not well with the duck bacteria, they will most probably die during incubation.

Really? Where'd you get that info? I've never heard that. I have ducks and chickens hatching right now.

 

[Cryss]

Eggs need to go into lockdown when ready to hatch. No more daily turning of the eggs.
Chicken eggs hatch at 21 days.
Duck eggs hatch at 28 eggs.
Lockdown and hatch timing are out of sync.

 

[MGG]

Eggs need to go into lockdown when ready to hatch. No more daily turning of the eggs.
Chicken eggs hatch at 21 days.
Duck eggs hatch at 28 eggs.
Lockdown and hatch timing are out of sync.

I set my chicken eggs a week into the duck's incubation so the chicks are on day 21 and the ducks are on day 28.

 

[Cryss]

That is a good practice and an excellent one to pass on to someone who has never hatched eggs and is looking for advice.

 

[LaFleche]

It is a well-known fact among breeders that waterfowl bacteria has a harmful effect on hatching rates of chicken eggs.

During periods of avian influenza here in Germany it was only allowed to free-range waterfowl using several chickens as sentinel birds as they are far more susceptible to germs and viruses than waterfowl.

 

[LaFleche]

Really? Where'd you get that info? I've never heard that. I have ducks and chickens hatching right now.

Hopefully your chicken eggs hatch well and complete.

Did you clean the duck eggs?

 

[LaFleche]

Eggs need to go into lockdown when ready to hatch. No more daily turning of the eggs.
Chicken eggs hatch at 21 days.
Duck eggs hatch at 28 eggs.
Lockdown and hatch timing are out of sync.

Duck eggs require a quite long daily cooling-off period and need to be sprayed with water which is not what chicken eggs need.

But anyway, each to their own.