Hatching 7 Silver Appleyard eggs.

[Run Amock DucksNChickens]

We put 14 Silver Appleyard duck eggs in 2 incubators. We had rollers in one incubator and manually turned the eggs in the other every 5 hours. (manual turning 3 to 7 times in 24 hours)
DON'T WASH THE EGGS.
Temperature: 37.5
Humidity: 65%
Went in the incubator on the 8 Oct. Candled on the 15 Oct. 5 eggs were infertile. 9 eggs left. Day before lockdown, 2 eggs had secretions on them. I learned that this happens with 'posted' eggs. I had to take them out to stop explosions and germs. 7 eggs left.
Day 25. 2 Nov. lockdown.
Temperature is now supposed to be: 36.5
Humidity: 75% to 80%.
I set mine at 77%
We candle our eggs again at this stage to see that the eggs are full with movement and to make sure the air bubble is at the thick end. We have 1 egg with the air bubble at the wrong end, I think.

What's supposed to happen is the eggs pip (duckling makes a hole in the egg). They say it can sit like that for 48 hours, (be patient). Then it starts zipping, (chipping around the egg), this should happen within an hour. Once the head falls out, they are safe. They sit like that till the yolk is fully absorbed and the duckling kicks the shell free. Once fluffy and walking around they can be transferred to a brooder.

I know it's not recommended to open the incubator during lockdown, however I've never had a problem with it as long as I spray water if I open it. I will continue filming the hatch in the comments. I don't know how to edit video's together. I just want to help those who aren't sure about incubation.
Our hatch rates have always been good (except the first one) and I've always rescued 1 or 2. We will video it if it happens that way. It's like carefully shelling a boiled egg. I've had a few hatches in my hands, it's so precious.
Please like this so we know you want more.
We've got 8 more duck eggs going into lockdown in 4 days, then we're going to start 24 chicken eggs off. Heaps of video's of hatching.
Stay safe.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Do you incubate often? That is a huge incubator! So many birdie possibilities.

 

[Run Amock DucksNChickens]

Do you incubate often? That is a huge incubator! So many birdie possibilities.

We started incubating ducks and chickens about 6 months ago. It's a lovely incubator. We are debating wether to put another shelf in it with rollers to turn the eggs. I find rollers are duck egg friendly.

 

[Run Amock DucksNChickens]

First one pipped.
Last night I noticed the egg had cracked and this morning it had chipped a hole above the crack.
The other eggs are doing nothing.

 

[Run Amock DucksNChickens]

There's another pipping! Is it pipping at the wrong end. It looked like the air was at the other end, thats why I circled it. The pip is also at the bottom.
We do have a wrinkle though. There's 9 duck eggs going into lockdown tomorrow and we're debating wether to put them in a separate bator.
I need to see what's going on and write everything down to know when and if to rescue.
I'm leaning towards trusting the glass bator as we're more familiar with it and have had 98% hatch rate with it.

 

[Run Amock DucksNChickens]

Came in to find one hatched. 2 are still pipped. The others, nothing.
We are putting the other eggs in a different incubator so we don't disturb these.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Oh my.

 

[Run Amock DucksNChickens]

3 have hatched.
The other 3 pipped, then nothing, by the time I went to help it was too late.
1 didn't pip. I opened it and there was a blood clot so I guessed it broke a blood vessel.
Not a very successful hatch. Some of them were at the wrong end.
Next time I will intervene after a 24 hour pip, not wait for 48 hours.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

So just 3 out of this hatch?
I haven't incubated, but my muscovy has. That is the thing, you just never know when to intervene.

 

[Run Amock DucksNChickens]

We have 3 beautiful little ducklings.