Help with staggering duck eggs!

[Everlastinghoop]

Help...with staggered hatch of duck eggs....has anyone done it in the same incubator? At 6 days in? Thank you!! I just want to add in one more ...our female got eaten yesterday by a great horned owl...and my husband was able to take her LAST egg out of her, unharmed (she was only half eaten;( ) after I had already started her other eggs six days ago in the nurture right 360. Can I just pop it in now?? On day six??thank you!!! I have read a few threads on this but just want someone's real time advice!! Thank you!!

 

[Blue is my chicken]

Yes I would put that egg in, I have staggered hatches be fine, I am not sure how it would work I'd you had an egg Turner but you will have to hand roll the egg that is 6 days behind (I have to hand roll my incubator does not roll them)
I am so sorry for your loss , I lost my duck last month and had her only egg it hatched and died today, at 3 days old I don't know why but somethings are just not ment to be no matter how much it hurts
I really hope your eggs hatch

 

[Everlastinghoop]

Awww. I'm so sorry about your duck! Our Drake was taken too, last week and that's why I started to incubate six days ago....we didn't realize the owl knew how to get into their coop for her....
He opened their door we think! It is wild!
My incubator does turn....so....is that one egg going to be on not being turned for those three days of lockdown? Or should I go buy a small dedicated Hatcher !?

 

[Blue is my chicken]

Awww. I'm so sorry about your duck! Our Drake was taken too, last week and that's why I started to incubate six days ago....we didn't realize the owl knew how to get into their coop for her....
He opened their door we think! It is wild!

Omg that is crazy, that is one clever owl

My incubator does turn....so....is that one egg going to be on not being turned for those three days of lockdown? Or should I go buy a small dedicated Hatcher !?

Well getting another incubator would be perfect as long as it is a good one but what i would do is put the one egg in the incubator and see if it is even fertile because you might get another incubator and then it is not even fertile
Also I have call duck eggs in my incubator now and some of them are going into lockdown tomorrow and some I only put in 5 days ago and the little duckling that died we hatched out 3 days ago, so I have a very staggered hatch and I have had no problems in the past continuing rolling the eggs that need rolling all through the other eggs hatching
Good luck
Edit: you will need to roll the egg until it goes in to lockdown
This is the chart I use for my duck eggs, I write the times I roll them on the top

 

[Ridgerunner]

For specific suggestions I'd need to know what incubator you have. A photo or preferably a link so I could find it online. And what variety of ducks? Some duck eggs have a longer incubation period than others. Muscovy are five weeks.

You can generally stop the turning a week before hatch. You've already achieved the benefits of turning by then. We usually wait until lockdown to stop turning and increase the humidity. It's simpler to do it all at the same time. Still you'd need to stop turning a couple of days earlier than you'd want to with this relaxed method. I'd consider that an option.

The turning is not the only thing I'd worry about in a staggered hatch. When they hatch the eggs will have some liquids and such in them other than the ducklings. That can make a slimy mess. Also, shortly after they hatch the ducklings can poop. That mess inside the humid incubator can cause bacterial growth. The incubator can start to stink and the bacteria can kill the unhatched duckling in the shell. This does not happen every time but the risk is real. It happened to me once, that stink was horrible.

There are reasons people that regularly do staggered hatches use one as an incubator and one as a hatcher. It makes life a lot simpler. I was planning on making the same recommendation Blue did, be sure the egg is fertile before buying another incubator unless you plan to use it in the future.

Another option would be to make a cage out of hardware cloth or maybe use one of those mesh baskets berries sometimes come in and invert that over the late egg. Keep the other ducklings from crawling on that egg and sliming it or pooping on it. Then after the first hatch is over thoroughly clean the incubator before you lockdown that last egg. You should have time to clean before lockdown. Sterilize it well and you should be fine.

Good luck with it, hope it is fertile and develops.

 

[Everlastinghoop]

For specific suggestions I'd need to know what incubator you have. A photo or preferably a link so I could find it online. And what variety of ducks? Some duck eggs have a longer incubation period than others. Muscovy are five weeks.

You can generally stop the turning a week before hatch. You've already achieved the benefits of turning by then. We usually wait until lockdown to stop turning and increase the humidity. It's simpler to do it all at the same time. Still you'd need to stop turning a couple of days earlier than you'd want to with this relaxed method. I'd consider that an option.

The turning is not the only thing I'd worry about in a staggered hatch. When they hatch the eggs will have some liquids and such in them other than the ducklings. That can make a slimy mess. Also, shortly after they hatch the ducklings can poop. That mess inside the humid incubator can cause bacterial growth. The incubator can start to stink and the bacteria can kill the unhatched duckling in the shell. This does not happen every time but the risk is real. It happened to me once, that stink was horrible.

There are reasons people that regularly do staggered hatches use one as an incubator and one as a hatcher. It makes life a lot simpler. I was planning on making the same recommendation Blue did, be sure the egg is fertile before buying another incubator unless you plan to use it in the future.

Another option would be to make a cage out of hardware cloth or maybe use one of those mesh baskets berries sometimes come in and invert that over the late egg. Keep the other ducklings from crawling on that egg and sliming it or pooping on it. Then after the first hatch is over thoroughly clean the incubator before you lockdown that last egg. You should have time to clean before lockdown. Sterilize it well and you should be fine.

Good luck with it, hope it is fertile and develops.

I have the Nurture 360 incubator. It will turn until lockdown....I appreciate all your ideas.
Thank you!