Incubators Anonymous

[TAMMACLEAN]

This little Australian Spotted duckling hatched just before midnight on my daughter's thirteenth birthday so she got a baby duck for her birthday! She was still awake to see it because she is having three friends spend the night and the slumber party is still going strong (the slumbering part should kick in soon).

How sweet!!

 

[Flowerbh]

We have two Runner ducks! Yea!

 

[Chick a dee1023]

Ok, someone please tell me what to do, I have 2 runner eggs in the bator, one internally pipped 2 days ago, the other looks partially pipped (internally), they are both moving around (the one less pipped is moving less), NO EXTERNAL PIPS or tapping or peeping yet... how long do I wait to help? I will feel like an awful mom and fuzzy butt mom if I kill them b/c I didnt help (or kill them b/c I helped too soon). I took pics so maybe that will help anyone who can help me out, the one has these yellowish-brown marks in the air sack that weren't there until today. Someone PLEASE tell me what to do

. The one filling almost the whole air sac looks like it may be having trouble reaching the shell...I can see either a beak/bill or a foot in there but cant tell which. its very active, but it has been like this for 2 days now. (btw, we THINK we are on day 26). Here are the pics, they are all the same egg (the one thats in the air sac, the last pic shows the spots I was talking about) Thanks in advance for any insight on what I should do!

 

[omaeve]

Oh no what can the matter be, I just went to my first chicken swap this spring and miscalculated . I have one space left in the bator I should have bought 4 call duck eggs not three. What to do what to do. that empty space is staring at me.

 

[randerson846]

My chicks are hatching now but i need help
Earlier there was a peep in the chick and i took it out to check on it i put itback in and left it and i few minute later the hen went crazy and rippedit open it got the chick out and ate the shell i thought it was a good mother the chick was cheeping and everything was fine so i came back about half an hour later and she had ripped the chick apart and ate half off it i was so worried i looked up online and it said that the hen sometimes kills all the chicks because its not their own so i went out 5 minutes ago and tried to get the hen out to get the eggs and put them in an incubator and i started to move the hen about and i saw a baby chick underneath fine but then the hen went crazy and peeked an egg open but there was nothing in it so i am very worried if wat will happen in the morning if all my chicks will die and i will have none

By the way i also read up that they kill the chicks if there is something wrong with it i just dont know what to do
Please help

 

[ChickNmamma]

My chicks are hatching now but i need help
Earlier there was a peep in the chick and i took it out to check on it i put itback in and left it and i few minute later the hen went crazy and rippedit open it got the chick out and ate the shell i thought it was a good mother the chick was cheeping and everything was fine so i came back about half an hour later and she had ripped the chick apart and ate half off it i was so worried i looked up online and it said that the hen sometimes kills all the chicks because its not their own so i went out 5 minutes ago and tried to get the hen out to get the eggs and put them in an incubator and i started to move the hen about and i saw a baby chick underneath fine but then the hen went crazy and peeked an egg open but there was nothing in it so i am very worried if wat will happen in the morning if all my chicks will die and i will have none

By the way i also read up that they kill the chicks if there is something wrong with it i just dont know what to do
Please help

I would take the hen out - put her where she can't get back in, take all the eggs and put them in the incubator.

Once they get to that crazy stage they don't recognize anything any more.. My mother just had one broody do that - we took all the eggs/chicks away from her. As they hatched she killed them, one by one... The chicks were light and she is a black hen. Some broodies are like that. She will hatch black chicks - but not any other color.

I also had a broody silkie that hatched out one chick, so I gave her some more that I had hatched. She was fine with all the tan/brown chicks but she kept pecking at the black chick. Since I didn't want to brood one chick in either location (either by broody or in the brooder) I took them all away. The other chicks had been together - one time I tried to split them up but they spent all their time peeping for their friends

 

[Arielle]

so, working on my coolebator, I was greatly disapointed to find that our awesome local Hardware Sales doesn't carry either of the thermostats that are needed, or anything like them.

Hate setbacks..
I'm looking at this lil delight, and wondering if anyones had them and happy with them? They're a bit cheaper than the wafer thermostat..

must. be. frugal!! lol
http://www.amazon.com/Bi-Metal-Egg-Incubator-Thermostat-Kit/dp/B004XNMIN2/ref=pd_cp_hi_0

I used a WHT as it was available at the local store-- takes a bit of finagaling. AKA patience. I would go high tech though given a choice. THese days I'm going low tech--planning to give a few eggs to the broodies. THey are sitting around anyways, might as well give them a job ! ANd save time on turning eggs by hand.

 

[Arielle]

We have two Runner ducks! Yea!

AWWWWwwwwww . . . just precious.

 

[randerson846]

I would take the hen out - put her where she can't get back in, take all the eggs and put them in the incubator. 

Once they get to that crazy stage they don't recognize anything any more..  My mother just had one broody do that - we took all the eggs/chicks away from her.  As they hatched she killed them, one by one...  The chicks were light and she is a black hen.  Some broodies are like that.  She will hatch black chicks - but not any other color.

I also had a broody silkie that hatched out one chick, so I gave her some more that I had hatched.  She was fine with all the tan/brown chicks but she kept pecking at the black chick.  Since I didn't want to brood one chick in either location (either by broody or in the brooder) I took them all away.  The other chicks had been together - one time I tried to split them up but they spent all their time peeping for their friends :/

I did i just grabbed then hen i got the chick and put it in the incubator i got the other 3 eggs and put them in and i separated the chick with a piece of cardboard from the other 3 eggs as i heard it can damage the other baby chicks while they are hatching i was told that the chicks jump over the egg if this is not true please tell me and i will take the cardboard away. The chick is ok and i heard a cheep from one of the eggs all going fine hope ill find 4 baby chicks in the morning

 

[Arielle]

My chicks are hatching now but i need help
Earlier there was a peep in the chick and i took it out to check on it i put itback in and left it and i few minute later the hen went crazy and rippedit open it got the chick out and ate the shell i thought it was a good mother the chick was cheeping and everything was fine so i came back about half an hour later and she had ripped the chick apart and ate half off it i was so worried i looked up online and it said that the hen sometimes kills all the chicks because its not their own so i went out 5 minutes ago and tried to get the hen out to get the eggs and put them in an incubator and i started to move the hen about and i saw a baby chick underneath fine but then the hen went crazy and peeked an egg open but there was nothing in it so i am very worried if wat will happen in the morning if all my chicks will die and i will have none

By the way i also read up that they kill the chicks if there is something wrong with it i just dont know what to do
Please help

This is a situation where you need to make the decision that you are comfortable with. YOu can leave the eggs and see what happens, knowing it could result in a total loss and are you comfortable with that. Or if you are not, doyou have an incubator to finish the hatching? If you can hatch them out and then test her with the babies after hatching under a very watchful eye.

No right or wrong-- your choice.