Incubating duck eggs- advice pretty please.

[Texag87]

Our first to hatch did two counterclockwise (anti clockwise) Laps around the incubator backwards with half the shell on his tail. Hopefully your zipped ones will pop out soon.

 

[Kiwibird]

Oh, that's so exciting! Congratulations on duckling number 1!

 

[xx_li_xx]

We now have 4 so far ... however it is very cramped in incubator with 4 ducklings, their shells and still 3 others not hatched.
Should I remove the shells or just wait until these are dry and fluffy and move to brooder?

I am aware welsh harlequins are self sexing in the first couple days ... so if I’m correct this one is a little girl, we also have a little boy and 2 I’m not so sure of right now, their beaks are kind of half and half. I will try get a picture of them later ... it’s so hard to see in atm as the incubator is so condensed x

 

[xx_li_xx]

So in love already.

Any one know welsh harlequins quite well and maybe could help with sexing? I definitely have one girl and one boy but two are really tough.

Also is this amount of humidity/condensation ok for the others still yet to hatch?

 

[Kiwibird]

The condensation is expected, and as you have some large air cells, it's helpful. Also, the high humidity might help the ducklings to shake the eggshells off. I'll leave Welsh Harlequin advice to others, as I have never kept them.

 

[Kiwibird]

Believe it or not, they're going to get even cuter once they start running around!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Can she remove the egg shells to give the hatched ones more room? Congrats on the little ones. WH are beautiful ducks!!

 

[DuckyDonna]

I always take the shells out of the incubator as soon as I see that they are fully detached from them.

I do not leave them in the incubator for long, maybe an hour or so at the most. As soon as I see that they have rested, have their little legs under them and start really moving around they go to their nice warm brooder where they have plenty of room to walk around and explore their new world. I don't think they are going to dry off with all that humidity either. I know that a lot of literature says to leave them in the incubator until they do but it's never been a problem for me.

 

[xx_li_xx]

We have moved the first 4 into the brooder ... we now have another two hatched in the incubator ... so just one to go

I’m terrible, I still sit here looking at these thinking of all that happened yesterday- wishing the poor baby made it , that we didn’t help, or that we did help but it was successful - I am a very emotional person so I knew I would never take losses well but I am extremely grateful for 6 happy healthy babies so far.

We definitely have 2 females and 2 males - then there are two I’m unsure on. Will try get better pictures of them later.
For now here is some duckling picture spam

 

[Miss Lydia]

We have moved the first 4 into the brooder ... we now have another two hatched in the incubator ... so just one to go

I’m terrible, I still sit here looking at these thinking of all that happened yesterday- wishing the poor baby made it , that we didn’t help, or that we did help but it was successful - I am a very emotional person so I knew I would never take losses well but I am extremely grateful for 6 happy healthy babies so far.

We definitely have 2 females and 2 males - then there are two I’m unsure on. Will try get better pictures of them later.
For now here is some duckling picture spam

Oh my goodness How adorable!!
It takes me a long time to get over loss to. But those precious ones you have there will help ease the pain.