First lockdown!! couple questions.

[southernhusky]

 

[jstlitlome]

They are all beautiful! Congratulations!

I just finished gathering all local eggs for my next set. I hope to have a better rate this time.
Here is our runt,Sweet Pea, the only one with a name yet because she required so much nursing. Even if she is a rooster, she is safe with us!

 

[southernhusky]

Awws! Good luck with your next batch! My mail order chicks arrived today! I've been checking them more than a broody hen I think LOL

My hatched babies are getting huge! How are yours?

 

[jstlitlome]

Awws! Good luck with your next batch! My mail order chicks arrived today! I've been checking them more than a broody hen I think LOL

My hatched babies are getting huge! How are yours?

Omg, they grow so fast! Sweet pea is still tiny though. I might have to keep her with the new ones when they get here.

New batch is on day 9.

 

[southernhusky]

Good luck! I just got done washing a bunch of dirty duck eggs. And I'm going to set them tonight then in a few days fill up the remaining trays with chicken eggs. I bought over 40 eggs from a local lady, 7 pekin duck rest mixed yard chicken eggs....then yesterday she said she had 18 more pekin and possibly rouen duck eggs so now I definitely have to use up some chicken eggs & can't set them all, which is okay because some of these eggs are dated 9/24 up thru 9/29....And if I wait a few more days to add chick eggs(this is because pekin ducks take 25-26 days to hatch) then I'll be up to 14 days which will lessen my fertility. If I had another decent incubator I wouldn't wait but I'd like them all to hatch around the same time if possible.

I'm doing my own little experiment on cleaning the duck eggs. From reading washing them pros outweighs the cons so we will see. Also found a link for study saying washing has been proven to not damage the "cuticle" and duck eggs don't have as much of a "bloom" as chicken eggs. And some were mighty filthy, stained even...I'm still tempted to soap wash those but I'm satisfied enough with how much cleaner they are. I can see eggs under a broody hen outside would need more protection from elements, dirt, etc but I don't feel incubated eggs need that much protection.

Glad I don't have to worry about this as much with the chicken eggs LOL

 

[southernhusky]

Wow nice video! Thats a super active baby!

 

[southernhusky]

How is your next hatch going? I don't think mine is going to go well but I later discovered she had washed all of the eggs. Chicken eggs just under water so I have hopes for them, but not many of the duck eggs look like I think they should(its been over 2 weeks). 4 got some mold spots/bacteria rings in about 8-10 days so I guess I'm learning what to watch for in bad eggs, I could smell it in the brooder but not really on the egg itself(course I've be stuffy with weather changing).

 

[BarrettG]

How is your next hatch going? I don't think mine is going to go well but I later discovered she had washed all of the eggs. Chicken eggs just under water so I have hopes for them, but not many of the duck eggs look like I think they should(its been over 2 weeks). 4 got some mold spots/bacteria rings in about 8-10 days so I guess I'm learning what to watch for in bad eggs, I could smell it in the brooder but not really on the egg itself(course I've be stuffy with weather changing).

Have you been candeling the eggs? That's the only way to tell if they are healthy fertalized eggs. In the chicken eggs you should see veins in about 3 days or so. Never hatched duck eggs but I assume it's the same. Isn't hatching eggs so addictive lol

 

[southernhusky]

It really is! I've actually taken a break now for a few weeks(after failing to hatch any duck eggs twice, other two hatchings were chicken eggs). I think there were some fertility issues involved(every duck egg I cracked open wasn't fertile, prob should have check before I set them). My husky had a litter of pups so I've got plenty of work on my plate as it is!

 

[BarrettG]

It really is! I've actually taken a break now for a few weeks(after failing to hatch any duck eggs twice, other two hatchings were chicken eggs). I think there were some fertility issues involved(every duck egg I cracked open wasn't fertile, prob should have check before I set them). My husky had a litter of pups so I've got plenty of work on my plate as it is!

Oh that's awesome. Congrats! Ya I always crack open one of every breed egg before they go in the incubator. Then I candle them a few days after. Good luck with the huskies. I'm in the middle of a hatch myself lol