February hatch-a-long 2018

[JaeG]

Hello everyone! Hope I can tag along, this is my first attempt a hatch and I am super excited! I have seven Pekin duck eggs in a DIY styrofoam incubator from my own pair of Pekins. I am feeling hopeful, but also am not entirely sure what to expect. I did have a couple questions, first of all how early can you begin candling? I only officially set them into the incubator the night of the 10th. Also I read somewhere that for a still air incubator you want the temperature more around 101 than the usual 99.5, is this true and sorry for the silliness but my incubator does qualify as a still air... right? Also how hot can it spike before the eggs are doomed? I ask because it got up to 104 last night and has risen to 102 a couple times, I seem to have it under control now staying at 99-100. Thank you in advance and looking forward to hearing about everyones hatches!!!

If they were brief spikes then the internal temperature of the egg wouldn't have had time to heat up to the external temperature, so your eggs should be fine. I think with duck eggs you can candle at 7 days as that first week is critical for the embryo so it's best not to disturb it early on. If your incubator doesn't have a fan blowing the air around then it's considered a still air, so aim for 100-101 at the top of the eggs. Still airs often have colder and warmer spots so it's a good idea to move the eggs around daily so they aren't in the same place within the incubator. This helps to average out the temperatures they are exposed to. Can't wait to see those cute little ducklings!

 

[JaeG]

I am going to try and post some pics of my aircells because I am worried they are too small but they could be just right. I have been combing the web for info on this and wonder if the key is air exchange. If your air exchange rate is high enough it seems one could incubate at a higher humidity and still have air cells grow. These incubators are much more air tight than a chicken's butt. just sayin'
Mine haven't lost any weight, but I didn't weigh them early enough to really use that calculus...only 4 days ago... but here I am day 18 and nervous about that first breath....

Maybe that's why I have a lot of success with my Button quail. I keep the vents open all the time and I'm really terrible for doing staggered hatches. I hatch the eggs in containers so my incubator is never contaminated (plus they are so teensy they'd probably find some way of falling through into the water wells). But when the first lot goes into lockdown the humidity has to go up and the other, younger eggs always seem to cope well. And eggs hatch in the rain forest so there must be some mechanism for coping with high humidity.

Post some photos and we'll see how they are looking.

 

[atomic]

Thank you so very much for your advice! I am relieved to hear that they are most likely ok. I have been turning them 3-5 times a day but just rotated their positions in the incubator. Should I do that once a day? I will (impatiently) wait to candle them after a week has passed to see for sure what I am working with. What do you mean by top of the egg? I have a digital dual thermo-hygro that is sitting on the bottom alongside the eggs. Photo enclosed!

 

[JaeG]

Thank you so very much for your advice! I am relieved to hear that they are most likely ok. I have been turning them 3-5 times a day but just rotated their positions in the incubator. Should I do that once a day? I will (impatiently) wait to candle them after a week has passed to see for sure what I am working with. What do you mean by top of the egg? I have a digital dual thermo-hygro that is sitting on the bottom alongside the eggs. I will enclose a photo shortly!

You are supposed to measure the temperature at the top of the egg for some reason. But overall the average temperature is what matters. I love candling eggs - it's always a thrill! I know how hard it is to wait and see if something is happening.

 

[Familyfarm47]

Here they are. Looking better today. Two of them don't seem to fill the whole space like they were? And aren't moving. I'm worried about them it's the two in back. An EE and a welsummer

 

[JaeG]

Here they are. Looking better today. Two of them don't seem to fill the whole space like they were? And aren't moving. I'm worried about them it's the two in back. An EE and a welsummer

Those air cells look good - it's amazing how much they change and draw down just before the babies start to internally pip.

What are you seeing when you candle your ones you are worried about? I've found the embryo looks lumpy and very black and sunken towards the narrow end of the egg when the embryo dies. There'll be a clearish layer of liquid between the embryo and the air cell too with no veins visible. I had a quail egg that quit on me the other day just before pipping and I'm kicking myself I didn't take a photo as it was quite a thin, light shelled egg so you could see it really well.

 

[Abraeri]

Hello everyone! Hope I can tag along, this is my first attempt a hatch and I am super excited! I have seven Pekin duck eggs in a DIY styrofoam incubator from my own pair of Pekins. I am feeling hopeful, but also am not entirely sure what to expect. I did have a couple questions, first of all how early can you begin candling? I only officially set them into the incubator the night of the 10th. Also I read somewhere that for a still air incubator you want the temperature more around 101 than the usual 99.5, is this true and sorry for the silliness but my incubator does qualify as a still air... right? Also how hot can it spike before the eggs are doomed? I ask because it got up to 104 last night and has risen to 102 a couple times, I seem to have it under control now staying at 99-100. Thank you in advance and looking forward to hearing about everyones hatches!!!

I'm incubating duck eggs but it's my first time too I candled on the 4th day and could see veins. They're all still living (despite my blunderings) so maybe beginners luck I think I have attached pictures in this thread. I then candled on the 7th then on the 10th threw out 3 that showed no signs of development.

 

[Familyfarm47]

went to bed with one rocking and woke up with a start of a pip! hasn't pipped all the way yet, keeps shaking and trying to push on the crack. I now understand the "sit on your hands" admonition! It's the buff brahma....she's always looked the best (maybe cuz the other shellls are so dark ha ha)

 

[JaeG]

went to bed with one rocking and woke up with a start of a pip! hasn't pipped all the way yet, keeps shaking and trying to push on the crack. I now understand the "sit on your hands" admonition! It's the buff brahma....she's always looked the best (maybe cuz the other shellls are so dark ha ha)

Clear your schedule - you're going to be very busy hovering!

 

[atomic]

Ok sooo definitely newbie learning curve here! I have made a couple mistakes that I hope will not turn disastrous. First off all the articles I read did not specify to use a pencil to mark the eggs... I used a sharpie. Also my diy incubator has proved near impossible to keep a steady reading and has fluctuated anywhere from 93 to 106, according to my thermometer, but mostly has stayed in the 99-102 range. I bought a real incubator from tractor supply the day before, a basic still air. Feeling much more confident but still worried. Probably a silly question but where exactly should I place the temp gauge? It seems like it varies widely in the reading by barely moving it. I know it's a little early (I started them on the night of the 10) but I couldn't contain myself any longer and candled them this morning. Some are blobs, others look like they might have the beginning forms of veins, and three others have distinct circles.