First-Timer

[littlecollier]

Thank you for the helpful links @Smuvers Farm! Can’t wait to check out the seed swap!

 

[littlecollier]

My candling light arrived yesterday and I (of course!) couldn't wait to take a quick and careful peek at our eggs.

Two of the four look great and are developing well, the other two are a little questionable. One looks like it's not developing (this was the one that didn't sit under the broody chicken but instead inside at a cool temp) which I think might just be a little behind in development. The other just seemed to float around a lot (maybe detached air cell or scrambled inside?)

Figured I would wait until we hit a full week on Sunday in the 'bator before pulling the two questionable ones, I would hate to toss a viable egg because I was impatient. Can they decline to a dangerous/explosive state over a couple of days, or is this a safe plan?

Lastly, I'm a little confused on positioning in the incubator. I have them set up like the product instructed but do I need to know where the air cell is and position differently? There's no way to stand them on end based on the way the turner works, unless I'm just confused.

I searched around the articles section but maybe I was looking in the wrong place/using the wrong key words.

@WVduckchick You're a wealth of knowledge (thank you for the tips on RH!) - Do you have any pointers?

 

[littlecollier]

Well, I bit the bullet and ended up removing the questionable egg. Everything was floating and it didn't seem to be developing and the more I read about bad eggs, the more I worried about the potential for harming my others if it went south faster than I anticipated.



Still having a rough time regulating temp and RH, but doing my best to keep things consistent. How quickly the days seem to be flying by.

Visiting our friend's new ducklings this evening, can't wait!

 

[littlecollier]

Little duck-os are steadily developing. The smallest of the three looks to have a light ring around the yolk area but I can’t tell if it’s the tell-tale “blood ring.” Fingers crossed.

We are at 6 full days in the ‘bator with 1, 2 and 3 days under a broody hen preceding that. Still trying to figure out when exactly “Day 28” will be.

Visited with our friends full grown drake and two new ducklings on Friday, such a joy! Cannot wait for our own to hatch.

Until then!

 

[WVduckchick]

So sorry, I did not get the tag notification in your prior post, and I've been swamped at work, so I haven't been checking in so much lately.

Sounds like things are going well so far. And no, if the eggs are on their side, there is no set way for the air cell. Only if you stand them up, the air cell should always be up.
And on bad eggs, usually your nose will alert you before anything bad happens, if you monitor closely, which it sounds like you are.
I wouldn't have removed any before day 7 or even longer, but better safe than sorry.

 

[littlecollier]

No apologies necessary @WVduckchick ! Life is busy and things often get lost in the internet.

Things are progressing well. I'd share photos but I don't have a image hosting site at the moment. I think we are on Day 11-13 respectively (since the eggs were laid on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday, under a hen and then straight into the 'bator on Sunday).

My math may be slightly off and I know things won't be perfectly timed, but should be hatching around what I am now calling Cinco-de-Ducko.

I need to get a little more serious about sourcing my brooding gear. My partner keeps telling me not to get anything big that we have to store for too long, but being the planner that I am, I'd like to get it done and ready to go this weekend. We'll see.

Still struggling with temp and RH consistency, but doing my best. I don't let the RH get below 30% if I can help it and keep the temp between 99.5-100.5 (though I honestly don't trust my three thermometers or their wild temp swings that seem to happen constantly). Let's just hope those little babies are fairing well in their shells.

Excited to take a peek at them with the candler this weekend ... Doing my best not to disturb them too often (though it's incredibly tempting).

We ripped up our entire backyard last weekend and have redrawn our plans for the eventual enclosure and pond for the ducks. So happy to have come to the same conclusion as my partner as to placement and structure ... That doesn't always happen. Now to get everything settled and built before mid-June when I anticipate them going outside.

Just over two more weeks until we meet our duckos ....

 

[littlecollier]

 

[WVduckchick]

Cinco-de-ducko!

I think we are on Day 11-13 respectively (since the eggs were laid on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday, under a hen and then straight into the 'bator on Sunday).

Did she stay laying on them on those days? If she didn't, and you put them all in the incubator on Sunday together, then they are all on Day 11. Date laid doesn't matter, unless the hen was helping to incubate.

 

[littlecollier]

Silly me! I didn’t realize you could upload directly into the thread. These are from earlier this week. I *think* they look okay based on all the charts and photos I’ve found online, but only time will tell.

Crossing my fingers and toes!

 

[WVduckchick]

View attachment 1346804 View attachment 1346805 View attachment 1346806

I see veins in them all!