*Hatched w/ pix!!* Set eggs 10/16

[ChickieBooBoo]

humidity about 60% for incubation, 80-85% for hatching. Temps the same as chickens, 99.5 degrees F good luck!

 

[Horsefly]

I ended up putting them in yesterday morning instead of Friday night. My neighbor only gave me 6 duck eggs (others she collected were all cracked) one of them has a crack at the top but I put it in anyway, can always remove it later. I also had 6 chicken eggs I put in, one came out the fridge just to see if it would hatch and another one I put in Friday night instead of the morning with the rest. I have been turning 3x day but I forgot this morning

I have a friend that is going to give me an auto turner tomorrow. How much will this affect my hatch rate? I'm not 100% sure if I will try it or not.

 

[duckyfromoz]

Turning is more important during the later stages of incubating. The ducklings can get stuck and be unable to turn into the right position for hatching if not turned enough in the last few days. Missing a few times in the early stages isnt as risky for the eggs and development.

Duck eggs often are more successful when left in the incubator on their sides- the same way they would be if in the nest under the mum. If you were going away for a few days- I would say use the turner- but otherwise- hand turn them.

Chickens do take 21 days- so you stop turning them on day 18. It might be an idea to put something down to help line the bottom of the mesh tray in the incubator. If the chickens make a mess hatching it would be easier to clean up. You especially need to be careful of gunk falling into the water channels. That would need cleaning or else bacteria could grow quickly in the warm environment.

 

[Horsefly]

I didn't get the turner, my friend forgot to bring it when I saw her. I kind of like hand turning, it makes it seem like I am working harder for them and I can check them more often. Anyway I have been smelling a slight odor when I open the bator yesterday and today so I pulled out the cracked egg I had in there. I candled it and the yolk and white was all swishy and moved around the egg. I take that it means it is dead. So I couldn't resist candling a few others, I was gong to wait till day 7, so I candled 4 others 3 chickens and a duck. The first egg I looked at was all swishy like the one I threw out, I started to get really dissapointed being 2 eggs appeared bad already. The next three eggs I looked at though I could see veins and eye spots!!! I'm thrilled to death right now! I didn't do anymore because I didn't want them to cool to bad. I left the swishy egg in just because but put it away from the others till y'all tell me it is 100% dead. Tomorrow night I'm going to candle a few more and take some pictures for y'all.
I had one question about how the chickens will hatch first. How will I hand turn the duck eggs if I can't open the incubator because of the hatch? Will I need the turner for that?

 

[Horsefly]

Okay I know its late but better late than never. I couldn't get anyone to take pics for me while I had the incubator open, so I finally just hunted someone down and made them help. I just candled 1 duck egg and 1 chicken egg for the pictures. I see veining in 2 duck eggs and 5 of the chicken eggs. I had two unfertile eggs (1duck 1chicken) so I really only had 3 eggs (ducks naturally) I think died. So anyway enough rambling, here are the pictures.
This is a duck egg, there was some dirt on the shell so not all the black specks are in the egg.

This is another veiw of what I thought odd, its like it settled to one side? Please please please tell me it didn't die.

Here is the chicken egg, it is solid and you couldn't see to much. I really really wish I had gotten those pictures of day 5, it was so much easier to see the veins.

I really want some ducklings, even if its only two. I'm not going to candle for 3 or 4 more days because I don't want to overhandle them and accidently kill them. I think its really cool though I can actually see the babies moving inside!

 

[Horsefly]

Anyone know if my duck eggs are dead? I looked last night and thy both looked like that, I still see all the veins and little duck from the other side.

 

[ejctm]

horsefly - if you started them off on 17th Oct then today is only day 8 right? I think day 10 is the best and first real day for candling so don't throw any eggs away yet. I am not sure you would have seen anything move just yet, unless it was the yolk moving as you turn the egg in your hand.

I might be wrong about the days, but this is what I learned.

You can also seal egg cracks with melted wax or even duct tape. You only know an egg is bad when it looks completely dark inside when it is early in incubating, or from the smell. I had eggs which were dark later towards hatching time which I thought were bad but were just the duckling inside appearing dark. I also had a bad one which was swishy inside and with a discoloured shell on day 28. They are all swishy on day 8!

My eggs were incubating under a chicken, so I only have candling and hatching experience not temps and humidity, but the timing is much the same.

 

[VOX]

Just be patient. let nature do its thing. never throw out an egg unless you know for sure its dead. just give it time. could just be a slow one. iv got 10 ducks in the incubator right now as well with 5 chicks. all you can do is turn them and keep the temp/humd. at a steady rate...the rest is up to nature. i wish you all the luck on a succsesful hatch

 

[Horsefly]

Thanks y'all, it's my first hatch, it's hard being patient and it's only day 9 today. I was just wondering if it was normal to have the yolk settle like that, I mean half the egg looks clear and the other half has veins and a dark spot (see pic #3). Seems like all the chicken eggs are dark at all angles. I hope it's still a good egg, I'm leaving them in until something smells or looks really bad. I have been looking and can't find any pictures of what dead or bad eggs look like. Anyone have any? Like what is a blood ring? I have read about it but haven't seen what it looks like.
Also what do I do with the duck eggs while the chicks hatch?

 

[VOX]

http://shilala.homestead.com/candling.html


https://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-candling.html

here check this out