How to hatch call ducklings? ***Updated questions!****

[SilkieSensation]

I don't have Oxine either. Mine get soaked in dishsoap & bleach in a tub of hot water for an hour or so, rinsed well & air dried at least overnight. Never leave your bator where chickens can reach it. They are known for eating styrofoam. I rarely wash the lids on mine simply because nothing ever touches the top. If I do need to clean it I just wipe a rag over it with warm water with just a few drops of bleach added & then wipe again a couple times with clear water & air dry.

 

[PoultryGirly]

Thanks, SilkieSensation! That really helped!

 

[PoultryGirly]

And what do I do if the incubator has a faint smell of bleach to it? Do I keep washing it out with water or is it okay?

 

[SilkieSensation]

I would give it another rinse & then just make sure all of the vent plugs are out of it to finish airing it out.

 

[PoultryGirly]

Well I already plugged my incubator in without rinsing it. It only started to smell 'weird' when I plugged it in. It smells like hatching gunk mixed with bleach. (I soaked and rinsed and dried it a million times.) One of my family members said that he thinks it's alright and it's just the smell; not the actual bleach and that you couldn't get all of the smell out. Also, the humidity is 58% and there is no water in there. I think the styrofoam soaked up some water. Can I still put the eggs in? I won't add any more water until it lowers. Also, my eggs arrived yesterday at 11:30 am. They were collected on May 22/23 and at EARLIEST the 21. I hope the eggs won't be bad navy tomorrow.

 

[SilkieSensation]

Well I already plugged my incubator in without rinsing it. It only started to smell 'weird' when I plugged it in. It smells like hatching gunk mixed with bleach. (I soaked and rinsed and dried it a million times.) One of my family members said that he thinks it's alright and it's just the smell; not the actual bleach and that you couldn't get all of the smell out. Also, the humidity is 58% and there is no water in there. I think the styrofoam soaked up some water. Can I still put the eggs in? I won't add any more water until it lowers. Also, my eggs arrived yesterday at 11:30 am. They were collected on May 22/23 and at EARLIEST the 21. I hope the eggs won't be bad navy tomorrow.

Just pull all the vent plugs out & don't add water right away. Oldest egg is only 5 days. You have 2 weeks before you need to worry about fertility. They are fine. Go ahead & set them.

 

[PoultryGirly]

Alright, thank you so much! I hope the bleach smell is okay and the humidity won't mess them up. I'm using a turner this go-round.

 

[SilkieSensation]

Alright, thank you so much! I hope the bleach smell is okay and the humidity won't mess them up. I'm using a turner this go-round.

They should be fine as long as you get the humidity down. If it still isn't down try opening the lid completely for about 30 seconds once per hour until it is.

 

[Terry2]

Hello!
I am a school teacher and hatching out 20 calls. I set the eggs the morning of May 3rd. I thought that that they should have started to hatch on the 27th, so I stopped turning them Friday, May 24 in the evening. I figured that was three days before hatch, so I went into lockdown. Well today is the 29th and I have some noise and a few pips, but I am worried that I have been on lockdown to long. Will not be turned for 5 days affect my hatch rate?
Thank you for any advice.

 

[Amiga]

I am not a hatcher but duck eggs take about 28 days, including calls, yes? So that would be the 31st. Check in over at the Thread Formerly Known as Hatch Day is Today and see if some of the experienced hatchers can guide you. Just don't open up the incubator yet, I have heard that ducklings can get ziplocked by people opening the incubator at a certain point late in development.