/ Register

  1. If this is your first time on BYC, we suggest you start with one of these three options:
    Raising Chickens Chicken Coops Join BYC
    Not a member yet? join BYC here & then introduce yourself in our community forum here.

Incubating Duck eggs

Discussion in 'Incubating & Hatching Eggs' started by babyboy1_mom, Apr 13, 2008.

Most Liked Posts
  1. Apr 13, 2008 #1
    babyboy1_mom

    babyboy1_mom Songster

    528
    0
    149
    Apr 13, 2008
    Louisiana
    Hi all. New here and asking for advice.

    I have 9 Runner eggs in the bator (from my pair) and I have been candling them off and on, but when I candled them on the 18th day, some of them didn't seem to have very much room left in the shell to grow. (Not for another 10 days.) Can a forming duckling grow too big in it's shell and die? If so, then did I do something to make them grow too fast?

    I have hatched chick eggs and quail eggs, but this is my first time trying to hatch duck eggs. My chick and quail hatches have alway been very good. I know that all 9 duck eggs were doing good before this. I just got concerned when I last candled them and it didn't look like they have enough room to grow for 10 more days.

    Any information on hatching ducklings will be greatly appreciated. When should I stop candling? (Haven't done so since 18th day, on day 21 now.)

    Thanks,
    Dorothy
     
  2. Apr 14, 2008 #2
    kstaven

    kstaven Crowing Premium Member

    5,927
    52
    293
    Jan 26, 2007
    BC, Washington Border
    By day 18 most of the egg will be filled with a duckling. So I would not be worried about that at all.

    You have to remember that at this stage a good amount of the yolk sac is still there and over the next 10 days it will be absorbed. So there is still room even if you can't see it by candling.

    Overly large chicks are usually a sign of too much humidity with chickens. It is pretty hard to do that with duck eggs. Due to the thin shell it is easy to get them too dry.

    I only candle day 10, 18, and 25 with my duck eggs.
     
  3. Apr 14, 2008 #3
    babyboy1_mom

    babyboy1_mom Songster

    528
    0
    149
    Apr 13, 2008
    Louisiana
    Thanks for the information. Hatching eggs is just as bad, if not worse, than being pregnant and waiting to see what you are going to have and making sure that every thing is going to all work out good in the end. lol (I had a very rough and scary pregnancy)

    I can hardly wait for these little babies to hatch. I am so excited.

    Dorothy
     
  4. Apr 14, 2008 #4
    DuckyBoys

    DuckyBoys Songster

    1,465
    2
    171
    Apr 2, 2008
    Colorado
    Quote:Well Dorothy - PLEASE post pictures immediately when they hatch! I'm waiting right along with you because runners are one of my favorites!

    Crossing fingers - [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Apr 14, 2008
  5. Apr 14, 2008 #5
    babyboy1_mom

    babyboy1_mom Songster

    528
    0
    149
    Apr 13, 2008
    Louisiana
    Thanks for the finger crossing Ducky. I am not set up with my camera yet, so I better get busy. lol

    Time to go feed the rest of the gang right now. They are waiting on me right now. lol

    Dorothy
     

BackYard Chickens is proudly sponsored by: