So this first hatch of the year is coming to a close and it has been a roller coaster!!! Here in NC a few weeks ago we were enjoying awesome spring weather so I figured what the heck, I'll set some eggs the temperature will be mild enough the incubator won't have to fight too hard right? Wrong... 
Temp initially stabilized nicely but then day 7, cold snap and I woke up to it beeping at me (alarm mode when temp is too high or low) temp was down to 92 degrees for quite a while with fingers crossed I kept the incubator on but it couldn't keep up even with the extra foam around it plus blankets except for the air vents (it is a forced air incubator). So I got a heating pad to put under it and with a little tweaking and a couple of heart stopping 103 degree spikes I am finally at day 28. . . .
We had 5 babies hatch yesterday our incubator runs high humidity when bundled up no matter what I try and two more hatched over night. Still have 18 eggs sitting and waiting. If last hatch is anything to go by then they will hatch over the next day or so. I generally wait until they are fluffed up and moving around and new ones are hatched out before taking anyone out because I don't need any injuries. Of course the weather is in complete cooperation with me and decided to dip down to 29 last night so the house was FREEZING yesterday requiring a firing up of the wood stove again.
Normally our baby ducks take up residence in the bath tub but that place of honor is currently occupied at night by a 2 week old bottle lamb arrived that with his sister arrived on good Friday. Unfortunately his momma only has enough milk for one so he gets special treatment. Hopefully the weather will cooperate before too long so that he can spend nights as well as days out with the other sheep. Ah fun on a small family farm!
Temp initially stabilized nicely but then day 7, cold snap and I woke up to it beeping at me (alarm mode when temp is too high or low) temp was down to 92 degrees for quite a while with fingers crossed I kept the incubator on but it couldn't keep up even with the extra foam around it plus blankets except for the air vents (it is a forced air incubator). So I got a heating pad to put under it and with a little tweaking and a couple of heart stopping 103 degree spikes I am finally at day 28. . . .We had 5 babies hatch yesterday our incubator runs high humidity when bundled up no matter what I try and two more hatched over night. Still have 18 eggs sitting and waiting. If last hatch is anything to go by then they will hatch over the next day or so. I generally wait until they are fluffed up and moving around and new ones are hatched out before taking anyone out because I don't need any injuries. Of course the weather is in complete cooperation with me and decided to dip down to 29 last night so the house was FREEZING yesterday requiring a firing up of the wood stove again.
Normally our baby ducks take up residence in the bath tub but that place of honor is currently occupied at night by a 2 week old bottle lamb arrived that with his sister arrived on good Friday. Unfortunately his momma only has enough milk for one so he gets special treatment. Hopefully the weather will cooperate before too long so that he can spend nights as well as days out with the other sheep. Ah fun on a small family farm!
