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I Suck At Ducks! ;(

Discussion in 'Incubating & Hatching Eggs' started by sagefox, Apr 28, 2008.

Most Liked Posts
  1. Apr 28, 2008 #1
    sagefox

    sagefox In the Brooder

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    Feb 22, 2008
    Western PA
    It looks like my beginner's luck has worn off [​IMG] I really felt like I was getting the hang of it after my 11th batch of healthy chicks left the bator...then I moved onto my ducks...and it all went down hill [​IMG] I watched these eggs like crazy...keeping everything just right...every time I candled they were all squirming around. Now I have one muscovy (I think muscovy... it was from the march swap) and I had one call duck hatch out today...but the other 5 muscovies and 10 calls have no pips and no movement. The 2 peafowl eggs I had last week had one infertile and the other had a fully formed chick that had pipped the air cell but went no further. So I'm wondering if I should stick with my little bantam eggs for now on...it seems like I just destroy every large egg I come into contact with. Just bummed and needed to vent I guess.
    On a happier note though...My one muscovy has really blossomed and it seems like he's going to make it...and I'm hoping this little call follows his footsteps and I'll at least have one of each [​IMG]
     
  2. Apr 29, 2008 #2
    silkiechicken

    silkiechicken Staff PhD Premium Member

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    Everett WA/Corvallis OR
    Better luck next time. I do not know about waterfowl hatching, but they probably are trickier to hatch out.
     
  3. Apr 29, 2008 #3
    SundownWaterfowl

    SundownWaterfowl Crowing

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    Southern Columbia County NY
    First of all, Call Ducks are very very hard to hatch. You get the best results will call duck eggs under a broody hen.

    Better luck next time.
     
  4. Apr 29, 2008 #4
    Rare Feathers Farm

    Rare Feathers Farm Crowing

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    Pleasant Valley, (Okanogan) WA
    My Coop
    Muscovies are pretty hard to hatch....what was your humidity? How long did you cook em?
     
  5. Apr 29, 2008 #5
    duckman

    duckman Songster

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    i have better luck with duck eggs when i dip them in warm water once a day when i turn them.
    i have six eggs that have hatched in my incubator and more are hatching now. before whin i tried to do this without diping them in water only one of six hatched because ducks need a high humidity.
    Also i would recomend a fourced air incubator.
     
    Last edited: Apr 29, 2008
  6. Apr 29, 2008 #6
    gumpsgirl

    gumpsgirl Crowing Premium Member

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    So sorry about your disappointment. :aww
     
  7. Apr 29, 2008 #7
    sagefox

    sagefox In the Brooder

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    Feb 22, 2008
    Western PA
    Thanks everyone....
    I kept the humidity around 70-75% and then pushed it to 90% on day 32. Sprayed a mist of warm water on them every night...everything looked GREAT right up until hatch day but I know a BIG part of the problem was I was a bator short so I bought a little giant still air just to get me through this batch. I have 3 forced air hovabator (one is a genesis)....I have heard the horror stories of trying to keep the temp and humidity stable in the still airs, but I had no clue HOW hard it really is!! I had my one hatcher filled with coturnix quail....and once they were all out...I moved the call eggs into the forced air. I have another call hatching now... tomorrow is their hatch day..so I'm hoping to get a few more [​IMG] As for the muscovies...they were the ones that really suffered from the still air fiasco [​IMG] But I need to take advice from my 6 yr old...she keeps telling me "Mom...it's better to have one little duck than none..right??" so I'm focusing on enjoying the one little muscovy that made it [​IMG]
     
  8. Apr 29, 2008 #8
    SundownWaterfowl

    SundownWaterfowl Crowing

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    Mar 16, 2008
    Southern Columbia County NY
    Your humidity was too high. It should be 60% during incubation and 75% during hatch.
     

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