Hatch-Along - Hatching Day MARCH 25 (first time using incubator) ANYONE ELSE?

[Happy Camper]

Halfway through day 14 for me so I candled. All is well and my aircells looked great. I started with 27 and have 23 left in bator. Not bad considering they went through thermostat scare and my power went out last week for 1 1/2 hrs. I found a source close by for some Buff Orpington eggs so I might just order some and do another hatch while I m waiting for my turkey eggs. I hope all is going well for everyone. It s been pretty quiet in here. Lockdown for me Thursday at 6:30pm. Time is moving so slowly now.

Yesterday I got a good flashlight and realized I had a dead embryo. I think that one died around day 5 or 6... Lockdown for me is Friday 22nd, can't way either! I am also waiting for duck and turkey eggs. My boys and girls are on their business so I think I may get some soon. I posted a question today regarding the possibility of incubating duck and turkey eggs together and just got an answer saying that you may not cause humidity levels are different... but I have read some people have done duck and chickens together and their humidity are also different...

What's your take on it? Have you done ducks too before or just chicken and turkey? Do you do them in separate batches?

 

[Marynash88]

I put in my first batch of eggs into my home made incubator today. Based on my digital thermometer and hygrometer, im maintaining near perfect temp and humidity... but for shizzles and giggles, I threw in a cheap meat thermometer and its registering a lower temp... which one would you trust? :-/

 

[Saskfarmgirl]

Yesterday I got a good flashlight and realized I had a dead embryo. I think that one died around day 5 or 6... Lockdown for me is Friday 22nd, can't way either! I am also waiting for duck and turkey eggs. My boys and girls are on their business so I think I may get some soon. I posted a question today regarding the possibility of incubating duck and turkey eggs together and just got an answer saying that you may not cause humidity levels are different... but I have read some people have done duck and chickens together and their humidity are also different...

What's your take on it? Have you done ducks too before or just chicken and turkey? Do you do them in separate batches?

This will be my soon to be first time with turkey eggs. I have never done duck either wish I could but our farm cats have been known to bring the wild ones back to the barn. Poor ducks. I would ask around on one of the BYC duck forums. You could always try once your start collecting your own eggs at least your not loosing anything you had to pay for. I m not sure how long duck eggs have to incubate either but turkeys are 28 days so if you have to open bator during lockdown I would be worried bout humidity escaping. I know my bator looses humidity fast. I m sure you could do chicken and turkey just by putting chicken eggs in 4 days after turkey eggs that way they go into lockdown at same time. I will probably be waiting for turkey eggs another month here in Canada cause they don't start laying till weather tells them it's spring.

What does the humidity have to be for ducks? So what's your total of eggs left in bator?

 

[Saskfarmgirl]

I put in my first batch of eggs into my home made incubator today. Based on my digital thermometer and hygrometer, im maintaining near perfect temp and humidity... but for shizzles and giggles, I threw in a cheap meat thermometer and its registering a lower temp... which one would you trust? :-/

Glad to have you join. As for your ? I have 3 thermometers in my bator. 2 digital and 1 mercury. I would suggest buying a cheap mercury outdoor thermometer (I paid $2.99) and which ever two are the closest temp go by them. Digital thermometer/ hygrometer the hygrometer is usually bang on even if the thermometer isn't. So you are probably good on your humidity. Hope this helps.

Let us know how many eggs you've set and what breed.

 

[Happy Camper]

I put in my first batch of eggs into my home made incubator today. Based on my digital thermometer and hygrometer, im maintaining near perfect temp and humidity... but for shizzles and giggles, I threw in a cheap meat thermometer and its registering a lower temp... which one would you trust? :-/

Tough one

... I'd go with one that takes MY temperature accurately. This is given you have placed them in the same spot. In a homemade incubator depending on size and all those details... a thermometer inches away from the other will register a different temperature.

The thermometer should be on top of the eggs...
Good luck!!!!

 

[Happy Camper]

This will be my soon to be first time with turkey eggs. I have never done duck either wish I could but our farm cats have been known to bring the wild ones back to the barn. Poor ducks. I would ask around on one of the BYC duck forums. You could always try once your start collecting your own eggs at least your not loosing anything you had to pay for. I m not sure how long duck eggs have to incubate either but turkeys are 28 days so if you have to open bator during lockdown I would be worried bout humidity escaping. I know my bator looses humidity fast. I m sure you could do chicken and turkey just by putting chicken eggs in 4 days after turkey eggs that way they go into lockdown at same time. I will probably be waiting for turkey eggs another month here in Canada cause they don't start laying till weather tells them it's spring.

What does the humidity have to be for ducks? So what's your total of eggs left in bator?

I checked and ducks and turkeys hatch in 28 days, so there is no problem w/ that. However I have been told by some people huminidty levels are different... Other people have told me that they do chicken, turkey and duck eggs at the same time!!!

This is funny but I would have never thought of introducing the chicken eggs 4 days after the turkey eggs!!! In fact is it 4 or 7 days after??? I was cracking my head thinking how could people do chickens and turkeys at the same time without problems.

My bator I do open everyday for turning the eggs (I have not bought the automatic turner yet)... It does looses humidity but I just add warm water when necessary.

 

[Saskfarmgirl]

Happycamper
Yes my days are off 7 days after. I cannot not find good info on incubating duck eggs. One web page I read said 84% humidity for days 1-25 94% 25-28. Then I read a lot of people incubate chicken eggs and duck eggs together with just upping humidity to 80% once they hatch. Turkey eggs are 50%humidity days 1-24 and 80% 24-28 days. You can have chicken eggs from 40-50% days 1-18. So you could have chicken with turkey. But I would think that keeping duck eggs and turkey eggs at 50% for days 1-24 and then humidity at 80% for lockdown they would be better suited together then chicken eggs. I would be afraid of drowning hatching chicks.Honestly if you are collecting eggs from your own birds its worth a shot just doing 3 of each egg. I hope this makes sense.
What do you normally have your humidity at for your duck eggs?

 

[Saskfarmgirl]

I reread my post so I m going to clarify something's that didn t come out right. First bit people hatching chicken and duck together up humidity to 80% when they start hatching. I put hatch.
Secondly I meant I would be afraid of drowning the chicks from chicken eggs by upping the humidity to 80 %.
Okay I feel better now... LOL

 

[bethk]

I dropped an egg candling yesterday. It was terrible. Hands off from now on! Mine are due march 27th.

 

[Saskfarmgirl]

I dropped an egg candling yesterday. It was terrible. Hands off from now on! Mine are due march 27th.

That's terrible! But it happens.