Incubator & movement in egg. - RIP Chip/Chipette

[WhiteCrested]

Hello y'all !
So recently I have been putting eggs into my incubator on different days (which is probably stupid) but now I have 7 fertile eggs with 4 different hatch dates. I do have another HOMEMADE incubator that I could put them in when it's time for lockdown but I don't think it will maintain the desired temperature OR humidity. So my question for you is: Should I attempt and put the egs in the homemade incubator when it's time for lockdown or should I just let them stay in the incubator they're in now (which is at 99.5 degrees with upper 60% - lower 70's% humidity).
And the other thing is I have an egg with no date & it is farther along than the ones from August 26th so I'm thinking the hatch date may be soon. I candles the egg this morning in the dark and I can still see into the egg like the veins but not a lot. But then in the air sack I could see movement like either feet moving but black things were moving. Maybe it's almost done to hatch? No pipping yet & no sounds or movement.

Thanks !
(I'll add pictures if needed)

 

[Iain Utah]

Nicely done on your duckling's part. The dark blue-ish staining is from your duckling hitting a vein in the inner membrane when pipping. Normally that is a bad sign. However your duck is almost in normal hatching position and the fact that it externally pipped is excellent. External pipping takes a lot of work and your ducky will go through a deep rest afterwards. Usually after about 12 hours, it will start to get more active and eventually emerge from the shell 18-24 hours after it externally pipped.

It is extremely important that your humidity stay above 75% as the inner membrane is now exposed to the outer environment and will dry up and shrink wrap baby if it does not stay really moist inside incubator.

Best of luck!!

 

[ducksliketoswim]

hey =] im not an expert in this area, but i can say that when I incubate my ducks eggs I put them in on different days as well. I leave them in the incubator even when they are in lockdown and dont take them out until they are fluffy lil'ducklings. I've incubated two clutches of eggs and only one of those eggs didn't hatch so I dont think moving them to another incubator is nessesary unless you feel more comfortable doing so. =]

 

[keyt1969]

I have put eggs in on different dates too. It's not recommended but I've been doing this at least 20 years with chickens, ducks and even reptiles. I would leave them where they are at. I have even incubated eggs and not turned them for days at a time because I was busy or sick and babies still hatched. Some people don't turn them at all! That's NOT recommended I'm just saying some people do that. Good luck!!

 

[WhiteCrested]

Looks like I'll be keeping them where they are ! Also my other problem that may occur is that the bar that heats the incubator seems low to me, would they hurt themselves on that if they are that tall? & when I take them out of the incubator what's a good temperature to keep them at? I'll probably keep them in a bin with mulch and 2 heat lamps but my house is about 70-72 degrees. So any recommendations?
THANKS !

 

[WhiteCrested]

Oh and the movement inside the egg is continuing, is this usual?

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

google brooder temperatures for ducklings. You will find plenty of guides on-line for brooding hatched duckling. mulch and two heat lamps is not the way to go. Mulch is too rough. Use pine shavings (like what is used in horse stalls) and ONE lamp at one end of a rubber made type storage bin. Food and water available 24/7 once put in the brooder as well. be ready to change the bedding daily, if not twice a day.

 

[WhiteCrested]

Oh okay, I think I may need to buy the stuff today and get it prepared because the egg is already making tapping sounds and I've been hearing chirping sounds. So many it's coming soon?

 

[WillsC]

You can also just use sand in the brooder. Make sure the food if pellets is pulverized, I use a blender (dry) to reduce it to small size.

 

[WhiteCrested]

I was thinking of using like cat liter but then remembered that sometimes its medicated so it won't smell so I probably will use either old towels or pine shavings. Also, in the bin I will be using, it's very long so that's why I thought of using 2 heat lamps since the thing is like 4 feet long. Just waiting for the day that it hatches, it's chirping everytime it hears me. But no date do it could hatch any day.