Hands on hatching and help

[WildHens]

That brings up a question for me.  I have a duck that I decided to let try to sit.  She's got 12-13 eggs now, but is only sitting about half the day.  She wanders around most of the evening.  I marked the first 8 eggs, but haven't marked since.  I was thinking of removing the older eggs. 

Darnit, just checked and she's off the nest now.  Maybe she is still adding to it?  What would you suggest?

If she's not sitting steady, I'd count eggs and see if she adds anymore in the next couple days..if she does, I'd mark all the eggs and then when she is sitting steady, remove the oldest and leave under what she can cover...
If she doesn't lay in the next couple days and is still sitting sporadically, I'd say she's either thinking about going broody or thinks she is, just isn't good at it.
How long has she been at it? I'd candle a couple n see if there's any development

 

[Blooie]

I thought for sure it was going to be pure white until it started feathering. Took me by surprise cause it didn't even have a tiny colored spot on it, nt even to think paint. The feathers seem wider too. The gray is the one I sent you the pic of that I had to help zip cause his head was stuck because of the high vault...lol I am thinking it's a boy. It's got quite a wide bridge to the upper beak. I think that's the one...lol Two of them look almost identical.

I love this!! Great pic!!! He's (both hes) so cute!!

I wouldn't worry. Sometime I think it's the positioning and some do grow faster/bigger. As long as they are all growing, breath easy. Did you see my "Blooie" chick in the pics I posted??

You mean this little dude with the 'tude? Yep, and I just forgot to comment on how good looking, confident, and bright-eyed he is...legs look a lot like mine too at this point in the season. <sigh>

I agree with Amy. I'd say you are just seeing the embryos from different depths through all the stuff in there. Some closer to the shell than others.

These are in the Brinsea, right?

And I didn't even roll one eye, thank you.

Yep, they are in the Brinsea, and the Farm Innovators is going to stay in the box in the garage this time, doggone it. I just don't trust it. And thank you for not rolling your eyes.

Thanks to everyone who popped up with an answer. Boy, sure seems like there is a lot of difference in some of them, but it could well be just an optical delusion.

 

[WVduckchick]

If she's not sitting steady, I'd count eggs and see if she adds anymore in the next couple days..if she does, I'd mark all the eggs and then when she is sitting steady, remove the oldest and leave under what she can cover...
If she doesn't lay in the next couple days and is still sitting sporadically, I'd say she's either thinking about going broody or thinks she is, just isn't good at it.
How long has she been at it? I'd candle a couple n see if there's any development

We are gone a lot of weekends, so one Sunday evening when I came home, she had piled more shavings and stuff around the 3 eggs than she usually does, so I thought maybe she wanted to sit. So I left those eggs, then a couple more. Then decided I had better move her box to a better, more private spot, so I moved it and took those eggs. She started laying in the new spot right away, 13 days ago. Within the past 3-4 days, she has actually piled more stuff up around the eggs, pulled feathers, looking like she was ready to start, but she's just not staying on it all the time. Its her first time, so I'll count them this evening, and pull some of the oldest ones, and check them.

 

[WildHens]

We are gone a lot of weekends, so one Sunday evening when I came home, she had piled more shavings and stuff around the 3 eggs than she usually does, so I thought maybe she wanted to sit.  So I left those eggs, then a couple more.  Then decided I had better move her box to a better, more private spot, so I moved it and took those eggs.  She started laying in the new spot right away, 13 days ago.  Within the past 3-4 days, she has actually piled more stuff up around the eggs, pulled feathers, looking like she was ready to start, but she's just not staying on it all the time. Its her first time, so I'll count them this evening, and pull some of the oldest ones, and check them. 

Yeah I'd say she's still prepping .. but sounds like she's on the right track ♡♡

 

[RubyNala97]

Not quoting all those long posts! Lol

@WildHens glad you got the LOs set! I hope they do well for you.

@RubyNala97 how are the calls coming along? I can't believe you are in lockdown already. Probably feels long for you, but seems like the loner hatched just a few days ago to me! Lol
Yes, Seramas. I traded some of my LO eggs for Seramas, so I have 19 starting. They came from Florida, the cells were almost all wonky and saddled. Some worse than others. I'll get a pic and post from the computer tomorrow. They are small, but bigger than the quail eggs, and about the same size as my sebright and OEGB eggs. I actually weighed some out of curiosity, smallest 19 grams, largest 31 grams. Big range, so we'll see! WildHens has serama too, and hopefully I'll get some from her eventually for line diversity!
Glad your boys finger is improving too!

@Blooie I took a piece of rubber shelf liner and scotch taped it across my lid. Love it, thank you for the initial thought!!

@AmyLynn2374 beautiful pics! They grow so fast, too stinking cute. Lovin the Spitz!!

So the serama eggs are not that small. Wow, I always thought they were super tiny. The first time I saw them in person was at the show and they were very cool. I've heard that serama breeders are hardcore and take their breeding very serious. Lots of pages on FB for seramas. I can't wait to see how they hatch. I candled and misted the calls and it looks like 5/6 died in the last 24 hours. Veins receding, no draw down, no movement. So sad!

This is hands down the cutest picture I've ever seen..I've always raised multiples of ducklings, so never got to have the bond of a single baby. But have heard a lot about them being a better buddy than a dog ♡♡ And I think Blooie is correct, that a contest winner for sure

I know! And let me tell you he is a great single. Very content and just loves being a part of the family. I never had to sleep with him or anything like that. I've heard some crazy stories about single ducks. He does have his moments of crying but I just yell out from the other room "I'm right here" and he settles down. It's so cute seeing him when the kids get home from school. He does really fast laps around the brooder and gets really happy.

Question time.....don't you roll your eyes at me!!  I can hear that, you know! I candled the 14 eggs in the incubator tonight while I was turning them.  Every one of the them looks great. Embryos are all active, veining looks strong and is much more diffuse over the inner surfaces of the eggs than I was used to seeing in the ones I tried hatching before, and two of the 4 slightly floating air cells seem to be firming up very well.  Humidity is pretty constant at 40 - 45% and temps look good.  

So what could I could possibly be questioning?  Um, some of the embryos inside the eggs look much larger than others.  Is that normal?  I've read that different incubators can have warm spots and cooler spots, so at least once a day when I turn them, I also shift them around so they aren't always in the same place.  Should I stop doing that?  Or should I just stop looking for monsters to jump out of the closet at me?

I've got 29 of my own eggs in the octagon 20 and same thing. Some of them are hard to see in because of dark, thicker shells and others are almost transparent to see into. But I noticed that in the first week some were ahead of others. As long as I can see development I don't worry about that. I've even added in eggs up to 48 hours after I set and those don't even always hatch last. Development seems to even out toward the end.

My problem is there nothing there to ancer it to. What is on the side is the house. On the other side of that is a book shelves. It keeps them dry like shelter. In front of that is more nesting boxes . And there food and water dish. On other side of two book shelves is a block wall. Deer netting is above them. We tried the eggs outside. But weather stop eggs with ants. Last hatch. I gave up and put them in incubator but it didn't go well. These hatch we put dog house in. They like it better but eggs our not developing baby's at all only yolk.one had a tiny baby very new beginning stages. Lost so many eggs. So we wanted to put a light to try and help them. Maybe to cold. It's rained a lot these time. I don't know how to help them. Very worryed

I've had a few broody hens the last few months and they successfully hatched eggs, even during a big snowstorm. It really shouldn't matter that much unless temps were freezing outside. How are your temps where you live? What breed ducks? Have you checked the eggs for fertility? Before they are incubated or sat on, you can crack open a fresh egg and see if there is a white bulls eye on the yolk. I can post a pic of you like.

 

[WVduckchick]

So the serama eggs are not that small. Wow, I always thought they were super tiny. The first time I saw them in person was at the show and they were very cool. I've heard that serama breeders are hardcore and take their breeding very serious. Lots of pages on FB for seramas. I can't wait to see how they hatch. I candled and misted the calls and it looks like 5/6 died in the last 24 hours. Veins receding, no draw down, no movement. So sad!

I know! And let me tell you he is a great single. Very content and just loves being a part of the family. I never had to sleep with him or anything like that. I've heard some crazy stories about single ducks. He does have his moments of crying but I just yell out from the other room "I'm right here" and he settles down. It's so cute seeing him when the kids get home from school. He does really fast laps around the brooder and gets really happy.
I've got 29 of my own eggs in the octagon 20 and same thing. Some of them are hard to see in because of dark, thicker shells and others are almost transparent to see into. But I noticed that in the first week some were ahead of others. As long as I can see development I don't worry about that. I've even added in eggs up to 48 hours after I set and those don't even always hatch last. Development seems to even out toward the end.
I've had a few broody hens the last few months and they successfully hatched eggs, even during a big snowstorm. It really shouldn't matter that much unless temps were freezing outside. How are your temps where you live? What breed ducks? Have you checked the eggs for fertility? Before they are incubated or sat on, you can crack open a fresh egg and see if there is a white bulls eye on the yolk. I can post a pic of you like.

Oh no! Bummer on the Calls.

Now I'm really thinking its a challenge that I definitely don't want to undertake! So you were still misting them? I thought misting was supposed to stop a few days early? But its great that your little loner is doing so well. Yesterday I saw the loner duck that I hatched for my friend (3 hatched, 2 went to someone else). She's 5 months old, still sleeps inside in a tote, (or in the dog's bed!) but goes outside all day now. She has started mingling with her young flock of Black East Indies, so I'm sure she will eventually become "one of them", but for now, my friend calls her in at dark, and she comes running back to the house! LOL


Here are the Serama eggs, and I roughly drew some of the wonky cells. The second row down are my bantam cochin eggs.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Sounds like a great idea to me!

xs 2

You mean this little dude with the 'tude? Yep, and I just forgot to comment on how good looking, confident, and bright-eyed he is...legs look a lot like mine too at this point in the season. <sigh>

Yep, they are in the Brinsea, and the Farm Innovators is going to stay in the box in the garage this time, doggone it. I just don't trust it. And thank you for not rolling your eyes.

Thanks to everyone who popped up with an answer. Boy, sure seems like there is a lot of difference in some of them, but it could well be just an optical delusion.

Yup and it does have a tude too. I almost mentioned that!! lol And

on the legs!!! I'm right there with you.

So the serama eggs are not that small. Wow, I always thought they were super tiny. The first time I saw them in person was at the show and they were very cool. I've heard that serama breeders are hardcore and take their breeding very serious. Lots of pages on FB for seramas. I can't wait to see how they hatch. I candled and misted the calls and it looks like 5/6 died in the last 24 hours. Veins receding, no draw down, no movement. So sad!

I know! And let me tell you he is a great single. Very content and just loves being a part of the family. I never had to sleep with him or anything like that. I've heard some crazy stories about single ducks. He does have his moments of crying but I just yell out from the other room "I'm right here" and he settles down. It's so cute seeing him when the kids get home from school. He does really fast laps around the brooder and gets really happy.
I've got 29 of my own eggs in the octagon 20 and same thing. Some of them are hard to see in because of dark, thicker shells and others are almost transparent to see into. But I noticed that in the first week some were ahead of others. As long as I can see development I don't worry about that. I've even added in eggs up to 48 hours after I set and those don't even always hatch last. Development seems to even out toward the end.
I've had a few broody hens the last few months and they successfully hatched eggs, even during a big snowstorm. It really shouldn't matter that much unless temps were freezing outside. How are your temps where you live? What breed ducks? Have you checked the eggs for fertility? Before they are incubated or sat on, you can crack open a fresh egg and see if there is a white bulls eye on the yolk. I can post a pic of you like.

No!!!!

I hope at least one hatches for you!

 

[tracyjg]

Right know I have the incubators outside in front plunged in. I have 1 gallon of water in each of them.1 cup bleach in each of them. I don't usually add alcohol rubbing 70% isopropyl alcohol what else do I need going to fumigate the incubators. It was so bad last time. It's going to take more then bleach and water and sun.

 

[tracyjg]

Little giant at temp 188.8 f humidity 88% on read on top. My little extra hydrometer our not in it at moment. Pro series 90 90 it's as far as it goes on settings. Vents closed on both. Their outside for my sons safety he has bad respotory issues. I can not run my nebulizers outside at moment not enough plugs. What else do I do and do I run them like they our tell 5 pm when partner gets home.

 

[WildHens]

Right know I have the incubators outside in front plunged in. I have 1 gallon of water in each of them.1 cup bleach in each of them. I don't usually add alcohol rubbing 70% isopropyl alcohol what else do I need going to fumigate the incubators. It was so bad last time. It's going to take more then bleach and water and sun.

Bleach will eat the Styrofoam if you're using that much. I usually spray mine with a very weak mixture , rinse immediately and then sit in the sun empty for a few hours. The eggs may be affected by the fumes as well..you also want to unplug them..don't run them when sterilizing.