Hatching Welsh Harlequin eggs—-advice

[fatty and friends]

Let me tag some people that will know some more about hatching and ducks than me

@MGG @Kiki @DuckLady @fatty and friends @CaliFarmsAR

sorry, i don’t breed and have no experience with eggs. i can answer any questions about duck care though!

 

[nmr]

I’m not sure, because I don’t do the misting or cooling

No problems with hatching without the misting and cooling?

I have an infrared heat gun, will that be at all helpful with checking temps? I know it just does surface temperature.

 

[Crazy Duck Lover]

No problems with hatching without the misting and cooling?

I have an infrared heat gun, will that be at all helpful with checking temps? I know it just does surface temperature.

I haven’t had any problems, but it’s up to you and your schedule! Yes the temp gun should work.

 

[nmr]

I haven’t had any problems, but it’s up to you and your schedule! Yes the temp gun should work.

Should I wash the eggs before they go into the incubator?
Thank you!!!!

 

[Crazy Duck Lover]

Should I wash the eggs before they go into the incubator?
Thank you!!!!

I don’t wash my eggs, but I do use the 3% hydrogen peroxide sterilization method. I lightly mist my eggs with 3% peroxide and it removes the natural bloom off of the egg. This can be dangerous but I find it does improve my hatch rate significantly. I recently did a test and I got a 95% hatch rate in the sterilized eggs, but a 52% hatch rate in the non sterilized. If you do choose to do this, make sure to wash your hands each time before you handle your eggs so that non of the oils in your hands get through the egg, as they are porous and kill the embryo.

If you sterilized, please make sure your incubator is clean and sterilized. If you didn’t do that, please don’t sterilize you eggs.

 

[nmr]

I don’t wash my eggs, but I do use the 3% hydrogen peroxide sterilization method. I lightly mist my eggs with 3% peroxide and it removes the natural bloom off of the egg. This can be dangerous but I find it does improve my hatch rate significantly. I recently did a test and I got a 95% hatch rate in the sterilized eggs, but a 52% hatch rate in the non sterilized. If you do choose to do this, make sure to wash your hands each time before you handle your eggs so that non of the oils in your hands get through the egg, as they are porous and kill the embryo.

If you sterilized, please make sure your incubator is clean and sterilized. If you didn’t do that, please don’t sterilize you eggs.

I had no idea duck eggs were so much more complicated than chicken eggs.

thank you for your help!!

 

[Crazy Duck Lover]

I had no idea duck eggs were so much more complicated than chicken eggs.

thank you for your help!!

No problem! Post plenty of pictures throughout the process! Keep me posted!!

 

[nmr]

No problem! Post plenty of pictures throughout the process! Keep me posted!!

I will!!

 

[Crazy Duck Lover]

Hey! How’s it going? Have you candled your eggs?

 

[nmr]

Hi! So far so good! We started with 14, one had a crack I noticed before we set so I tossed it. Last night we candles and only one dud! The other 12 look great!