I don't have an incubator, but hope to hatch a couple ducklings.

[AngelinaThePekin8]

Hears an external pip! I think?
Angelina's egg is still very active, the only one visibly rocking lots. I am thinking the egg is shaped a little different then the others so it moves more. I hope the duckling is fine.
The egg right next to Angelina's egg is the one who externally pipped.

 

[LydiaB]

Yes, that is an external pip. Babies in 48 hours! (Or less)

 

[AngelinaThePekin8]

Yes, that is an external pip. Babies in 48 hours! (Or less)

Yep! Around 12:00 PM today, another externally pipped! That's 2 so far!

 

[Glory to His name]

So exciting!!

 

[Chickenshannanigans]

I would strongly advise to get a cheap incubator from Amazon.
I once made a cardboard + heating pad incubator for fermentation (yoghurt, dough) and it failed miserably because it couldn't hold enough heat. I can't imagine to incubate eggs that way, there are already so many things that goes wrong even with proper incubators.
Trying doesn't hurt, but be prepared for disappointment.

They have “smart incubator” on Amazon for 40 bucks on sale right now! It’s cheap but would suffice. Also I don’t know where you live, but it’s 100 degrees outside here! Maybe the heating pad and sunlight? I don’t know what to tell you about night time though…. Although I have seen people hatch with a cardboard box and a 40 wat light bulb and a sponge. There are tons of videos on you tube. Good luck!

 

[LydiaB]

Any babies yet? Or more pips?

 

[AngelinaThePekin8]

Look who's here!
Angelina's was the first out, two others almost fully zipped! It's got a yellow bib and yellow wing tips. I better get the brooder set up and quick. I couldn't find any good heating pads at local stores

 

[AngelinaThePekin8]

3 ducklings now! The newest one has bent toes so. I will take care of that soon, prob put it into like a splint thing.

 

[LydiaB]

Yay! Congrats! So glad Angelina’s hatched for you.

 

[AngelinaThePekin8]

Yay! Congrats! So glad Angelina’s hatched for you.

I am so happy it made it too!

The last egg is still barely zipped, it was the last to externally pip so just a little farther behind? I opened the incubator lid a lot because of condensation, had RH in the 80s during hatches and was worried about that. I am worried the membrane dried out from that? And thus making it harder for the little one to get out? I am going to re do some reading on that type of stuff, and figure out when and what to do for the duckling with a few deformed toes.


Tomorrow they will go in their brooder, I do worry that the incubator doesn't have enough ventilation for the night. No ventilation holes, on the lid, and the bottom has a spot for water to be put in, but that seems like too little. Am I over thinking?
I feel so unprepared, I have never brooded ducklings without a heat lamp or a broody duck, and I want to try using the mama heating pad instead of a heat lamp.