Hands on hatching and help

[FridayYet]

Welcome to BYC! Are you on a phone?

-Kathy

 

[Sarkchick]

I take it you hand turn them? First when setting eggs time doesn't matter. Second when turning them if you turn them at least three times a day they will be good and the three times doesn't have to be every 8 hours. As long as there's four hours in between each turn they will be good. I would turn mine at 8:30am, 6:00pm and then again at 12:00pm.

Lacrystol, I have shipped duck eggs on day 19. They are in a styro fan forced bator. Temp runs 99.5-100, and humidity around 30. The eggs are in a cut down carton. I have been hand turning (rocking back and forth) 5 times a day. Most ACs look real good. BUT. My husband was put in hospital with acute pancreatitis. Probably a 5-7 day stay. It is a 5 hour round trip. I will only go home once a day to care for animals and turn eggs. Which means they will only get turn once a day the last week of incubation. What are my odds of any hatching. I'm really bummed here. The eggs have really tried hard. Thank for your thoughts
Linda

 

[casportpony]

Quote: Sorry about you husband... can you hire someone to look after them for you?

-Kathy

 

[Sarkchick]

Sorry about you husband... can you hire someone to look after them for you?

-Kathy

I have cousins in the area. But none of know anything about hatching. And I do not trust them to understand what I'm saying over the phone. My hubs was transported by ambulance at 4am this morning. So there was no time to arrange anything. Thanks for the thought

Linda

 

[caesargirl]

Did a full candle of all bator eggs (the ducks are sitting on 60+)
All eggs look great. A couple porous ones. Lots of wigglers!!! Even the one under the pigeon doing well.
The live pigeon babies in the bator are keeping humidity around 35 with both vents open. I find humidity in low 30s works best for me. I'm going to candle eggs under duck butts tonight. These are all community nests and there were several nights of temps in the teens before they started sitting.... I'll pull any that show clears.

 

[RubyNala97]

Okay every one.. We just had 11 babies hatch under momma on Easter when we noticed her out with the babies I went to check on the nest.. There happen to be 6 left and we're getting very cold so I rushed them in candles them 4 viable eggs were in the six.. The eggs have been water candled and all move and have been light candles and can see babies and movement.. My question is how long do yall think these babies will take to hatch? Momma duck had 20 eggs and these happened to be on the bottom so I don't believe when momma was laying on them they were staying at a high enough temp and seem to be delveloping a lot slower.. While candling I have seen feet does that help indicate how far along they are??

Do you have an incubator? I would definitely put them in one if you have it. The moms usually rotate the eggs underneath them but that was a lot of eggs. Lol. There's still hope if you can keep them around 99 degrees till hatch.

Guess what? I open my incubator at least ten times yesterday and the duckling still managed to hatch. Go figure... 

-Kathy

Yesterday was day 19 for me on a batch of chicken eggs. I'm still getting used to my new incubator and I had to take the eggs out 4 times so I could get my humidity right! 1 had an internal pip around 10pm. No externals yet.

Lacrystol, I have shipped duck eggs on day 19. They are in a styro fan forced bator. Temp runs 99.5-100, and humidity around 30. The eggs are in a cut down carton. I have been hand turning (rocking back and forth) 5 times a day. Most ACs look real good. BUT. My husband was put in hospital with acute pancreatitis. Probably a 5-7 day stay. It is a 5 hour round trip. I will only go home once a day to care for animals and turn eggs. Which means they will only get turn once a day the last week of incubation. What are my odds of any hatching. I'm really bummed here. The eggs have really tried hard. Thank for your thoughts
Linda

Sorry to hear about your husband. Turning is much less important during the last week of incubation. If you can turn them once or twice while you're home, I think they will be fine!

Did a full candle of all bator eggs (the ducks are sitting on 60+)
All eggs look great. A couple porous ones. Lots of wigglers!!! Even the one under the pigeon doing well.
The live pigeon babies in the bator are keeping humidity around 35 with both vents open. I find humidity in low 30s works best for me. I'm going to candle eggs under duck butts tonight. These are all community nests and there were several nights of temps in the teens before they started sitting.... I'll pull any that show clears.

 

[Sarkchick]

Sorry to hear about your husband. Turning is much less important during the last week of incubation. If you can turn them once or twice while you're home, I think they will be fine!

Thank you. I know it is not perfect, but it's the best I can do. And just hope for the best. I will let you all know the outcome.

Linda

 

[RubyNala97]

Thank you. I know it is not perfect, but it's the best I can do. And just hope for the best. I will let you all know the outcome.

Linda

Sounds good and good luck. Another member that I'm friends with just went through something very similar with her husband. So hang in there. I'm sure he'll be better soon!

 

[WVduckchick]

This is what I want to do. I hate hatching in the 20. I'm going to get the one that Ravyn recommended. I forget the name but I want a still sitting hatch in. And one with good humidity at hatch. Which one did you get?
I agree with what Amy said. And the air cells do look big but that's due to the shipping damage. My shipped call duck eggs have detached air cells that look just huge! There's nothing really you can do but what you're doing already. What day are these on? Usually by day 12, the air cells will firm up in strange shapes.
Was this egg # 1 in the pictures?
Look at all those eggs!! So exciting! Perfect setup too!

Sorry Ruby, I was way behind. I got the cheap FI still air styro. I was planning to take it back today because I fired it up last night and the thermos were all over the place. But I looked at 6 different stores for something better with no luck. I think I can rig the fan from my old one to this one, so I may test it again tomorrow. Will let ya know. Just incubate in the Brinsea and hatch in this. Maybe

Lacrystol, I have shipped duck eggs on day 19. They are in a styro fan forced bator. Temp runs 99.5-100, and humidity around 30. The eggs are in a cut down carton. I have been hand turning (rocking back and forth) 5 times a day. Most ACs look real good. BUT. My husband was put in hospital with acute pancreatitis. Probably a 5-7 day stay. It is a 5 hour round trip. I will only go home once a day to care for animals and turn eggs. Which means they will only get turn once a day the last week of incubation. What are my odds of any hatching. I'm really bummed here. The eggs have really tried hard. Thank for your thoughts
Linda

So sorry hun, but I agree with Ruby, I think they will be fine. My husband is still recovering from ruptured appendix, and emergency surgery, so I feel your pain.

 

[RubyNala97]

Sorry Ruby, I was way behind. I got the cheap FI still air styro. I was planning to take it back today because I fired it up last night and the thermos were all over the place. But I looked at 6 different stores for something better with no luck. I think I can rig the fan from my old one to this one, so I may test it again tomorrow. Will let ya know. Just incubate in the Brinsea and hatch in this. Maybe

I wonder if that's the one Ravyn has...I think it may have been havabator though. I think still air would do good with humidity at lockdown too. I'm thinking of buying another mini Eco. I should have never sold mine extra one!