Help hatching call duck eggsl

[Cordell]

Hi everyone. I was wondering if I might get some help with incubating some call duck eggs. I have a Marsh TX-7 incubator that I used to hatch parrot eggs. It has the automatic egg turning device. The call duck eggs were shipped today. I have the bator at dry bulb 99 degrees and wet bulb at 89 degrees. I have printed out the chart that will give you the humidity when you follow the two readings. Do you think I need to buy another thermometer or humitiy meter too or are the two in the machine enough? I have read where some mist the eggs daily, take them out and let the cool for ten minutes a day, etc. any suggestions as to best practice would be appreciated! I was going to follow the Storey's Ducks book as a guideline. Also will the auto turner work OK?Thanks so very much!
Cordell
Fort Worth, Texas
50 pullets, 2 roos, 3 silkies, 2 bantum cochins, 4 dogs, 2 cats, Africian Grey Parrot and unemployed adult son sleeping in spare bedroom!

 

[the Old Rebel]

I can't help you at all on this as I know NOTHING about call duck eggs, but I thought I'd give this a bump back to the top, so maybe someone else could help you. Good Luck!! Let us know how it goes with them.

 

[Bunnylady]

http://www.callducks.org/article_page_2.html

I have seen some sources that recommend skipping the automatic turner, and turning by hand 4 times per day. I have a trio of Calls that I just bought about a month ago. The person I got them from told me that, while the eggs they had layed for her were fertile, she hadn't been able to hatch any of them. I don't know if I'll have any better luck than she had, but I'll get to see in a month or so . . . .

 

[duckluck]

Quote:
Someone told me that about calls also, but I find it hard to believe that the big breeders in this sport hand-turn eggs several times daily every time they set them, especially those that have hundreds of eggs set at a time. I personally plan on hatching call eggs myself but also plan on retaining my full time job, and as I don't picture call ducklings paying for the farm, I don't plan on hand-turning them. Anyone who does hatch a lot of call eggs in a breeding season care to weigh in on this and tell us what you do?

 

[janastasio]

The only problem with hand turning is that everytime you open the incubator to do this, you let out the heat and humidity. I have hatched two batches of duck eggs in my still air hova bator and used the hand turn method 3-4 x daily and had very poor hatch rates. I just assumed it was the humidity issue. I will be interested to see what others say. Good luck, and how exciting!

 

[ducklover15]

I hatched 4 out of 6 calls this summer.

I used a large forced air incubator and I filled the bottom with water everyday. I made sure the bottom was ALWAYS full.
I didn't mist the eggs until they had about 5 days remaining. I also hand turned them around 4 times a day.

I had a humidity issue at the end and had to hatch two myself. But I know I caused it because I opened the incubator constantly after the first baby hatched. It was super cute and I didn't know anything about humidity... I caused one poor baby to die in the shell because of the bad humidity.

Just make sure you turn the eggs quickly and keep the bator closed as much as possible when they start hatching. I use to just crack the top open to spray water inside.

Good luck with your eggs!!

 

[Cordell]

Bunnylady thanks so much for for the article. I wish now i hadn't ordered the call duck eggs as my first hatch. But Ducklady does give me some hope! I think I will use the auto egg turner and sees what happens and watch the air cells. I will keep everyone updated. Wish me luck!
Cordell

 

[Bunnylady]

From what I've read, it does sound like you "jumped in at the deep end" if this is your first hatch! But maybe you'll have a huge dose of beginner's luck (I really hope so!) When I started hatching eggs from my chickens, for a while it seemed like almost everything I put in the incubator came out cheeping. I haven't had anywhere near that luck for a couple of years now, so I reckon it's time to rethink my methods. The very best results I've had with duck eggs was when the hen herself hatched them, followed by a couple of chickens that I coerced into setting on duck eggs for me (they don't know the difference!) So I figure I have a couple of other options open if I can't seem to get it right with the incubator. Wishing you the best of luck with your eggs. Keep us posted!

 

[Mrs. Turbo]

we incubate the call duck eggs on their side and hand turn at least 3 times a day. If you work you can turn before work, when you get home and before bed. Last year we set about 8- 9 dozen call duck eggs every 5 days during the peak of the season. If you have a large cabinet incubator it holds the heat and humidity better than the styrofoam bators...Call duck breeders recommend the redwood incubator for hatching. We lightly mist one time a day depending on the humidity level.....also if you mix a drop of oxine in the spray bottle it helps prevent the early death caused by bacteria. Humidity stays about 40% until hatch time, but we do not add much water to the tray because KY is humid in the spring and summer. this method has really worked well for us.
Last year was a bad hatching season for a lot of breeders....some say it was caused by the unusual weather, but I guess we will never know.

 

[duckluck]

So, what is your routine/humidity for lockdown then?