June Hatch A Long

[LilyD]

Just went and checked. Pulled a little membrane away and oiled a bit more. I THINK it's still chewing and working on the yolk.

Yes that's definite yawning and chewing behavior wait a bit until he's actively chirping and stretching trying to get out.

 

[jolenesdad]

When I last looked and oiled there were still some veins. I'm working on getting the baby to bed and then I'm going to look again. It's chaotic here at night lol. But I managed to empty the grown up duck pond and my 2 1/2 week old duckling brooder. After raising chicks... I forgot what pigs ducklings are. I cannot wait to start bringing them outside. Next week looks to be really warm. I'm going to set up a temporary pen for them near the big duck pen for day trips. My hen going broody kinda threw off my plans for integration lol

I’ve been by myself with 10 horses this week. Plus my 75+ chickens and it’s been awful! I’m so glad I’m NEARING the toddler age where he can help me, but at least he can join me for chores and be stay sort of out of trouble. And the babies love to climb on his high chair in the coop area.

I’m dreading duck mess and thinking I’ll put them straight outside on day 2. Our kitchen paint cracked and it’s under warranty and they told us we have to be out of the house for the hatch week. I can’t have duckling brooder mess on top of it!

Now, I have zero experience with shipped eggs because I always pick mine up locally but I had never heard that about changing the position of the egg before! Does it only apply to shipped eggs? Because I knew about hatching upright for when an air cell is detached but that's it. During one of my hatches, I should say halfway through incubation, I have switched incubators from an upright to a horizontal turner. lol, It happened to be one of my 100% hatches...pure dumb luck maybe?

I feel like I exhausted myself researching shipped eggs after my first 50% hatch that I thought I was already prepared for.

I read a lot of opinions that you should hatch an egg the way it was incubated across the board. I don’t have experience one way or the other to know. And rules are made to be broken. I got these ducks so I could keep a trio and hatch my own eggs to learn and learn and learn.

Anyway I got off topic. In general it seems like 75/25 on hatching shipped eggs on their side. Some people swear by it, and, in general the air cell is supposed to be pretty solid by day 15, or you’re sort of SOL anyway.

I don’t know totally what I think yet... I’m a newbie forming my opinions. It seems that hatching on sides is a purist view. One of the “only the strongest survive” don’t ever assist, it’s bad for genetics kind of things. From what I read, it’s pretty accepted that hatching shipped eggs upright after turning upright is the way to go and slightly increases the poor hatch rates.

Back to your point, I’m going to hatch the local eggs I got upright that are being turned upright. I haven’t seen it a whole lot but those that DO use cartons say it, and it got me thinking. I’ve watched multiple videos lately of large scale commercial hatcheries with the automated systems and they are hatching upright. In a propaganda gig) video for the “organic” Broiler hatchery, I can’t remember the name, i saw they developed these hatching trays where they are hatched upright and fall to the tray below.

I’m going to ask Moyer hatchery next time I talk to them about it and if the large scalers are doing it for automation or hatch rates.

Interesting....

 

[HolyDuckBatman]

Yay! This is all progress. Painfully slow. What is he doing, how is he acting? Is he chewing?

If he hasn’t absorbed the yolk you could have a cup ready if he bounces on out to try and continue to restrain him if needed.


Stick in the muds are good and necessary.

I've had him in the dark, unstimulated, as suggested, but still in the room with me, so I glance over here & there to see how he's doing....he does seem to be making the chewing motion here & there still, as far as how he's acting, he rests, then starts chirping a bit, then rinse / repeat, lol. I know that I keep saying this, but I cannot stress this enough, I am SO grateful to all of you, because I would not know a thing I was doing if it wasn't for all of you walking me through this, & all of your advice. You guys saved my ducky !

 

[Bookworm0124]

Yes that's definite yawning and chewing behavior wait a bit until he's actively chirping and stretching trying to get out.

He's just a slow poke his sisters are currently in a duck pile in their temporary brooder and it's the cutest thing. I've been using a heat plate this year but it's out with the older babies so I broke out the lamp for these guys but it's nice when I can actually see the snuggles.

 

[LilyD]

I've had him in the dark, unstimulated, as suggested, but still in the room with me, so I glance over here & there to see how he's doing....he does seem to be making the chewing motion here & there still, as far as how he's acting, he rests, then starts chirping a bit, then rinse / repeat, lol. I know that I keep saying this, but I cannot stress this enough, I am SO grateful to all of you, because I would not know a thing I was doing if it wasn't for all of you walking me through this, & all of your advice. You guys saved my ducky !

It's a good time to talk to him too and get him used to your voice so that he's not as skittish of you after hatching. The ones I did will actually walk onto my hands now and want to be touched and held. They still act like little fluffy terrorists but other than that they are pretty darling.

 

[LilyD]

My fuzzy terrorists lol.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I’ve been by myself with 10 horses this week. Plus my 75+ chickens and it’s been awful! I’m so glad I’m NEARING the toddler age where he can help me, but at least he can join me for chores and be stay sort of out of trouble. And the babies love to climb on his high chair in the coop area.

I’m dreading duck mess and thinking I’ll put them straight outside on day 2. Our kitchen paint cracked and it’s under warranty and they told us we have to be out of the house for the hatch week. I can’t have duckling brooder mess on top of it!



I feel like I exhausted myself researching shipped eggs after my first 50% hatch that I thought I was already prepared for.

I read a lot of opinions that you should hatch an egg the way it was incubated across the board. I don’t have experience one way or the other to know. And rules are made to be broken. I got these ducks so I could keep a trio and hatch my own eggs to learn and learn and learn.

Anyway I got off topic. In general it seems like 75/25 on hatching shipped eggs on their side. Some people swear by it, and, in general the air cell is supposed to be pretty solid by day 15, or you’re sort of SOL anyway.

I don’t know totally what I think yet... I’m a newbie forming my opinions. It seems that hatching on sides is a purist view. One of the “only the strongest survive” don’t ever assist, it’s bad for genetics kind of things. From what I read, it’s pretty accepted that hatching shipped eggs upright after turning upright is the way to go and slightly increases the poor hatch rates.

Back to your point, I’m going to hatch the local eggs I got upright that are being turned upright. I haven’t seen it a whole lot but those that DO use cartons say it, and it got me thinking. I’ve watched multiple videos lately of large scale commercial hatcheries with the automated systems and they are hatching upright. In a propaganda gig) video for the “organic” Broiler hatchery, I can’t remember the name, i saw they developed these hatching trays where they are hatched upright and fall to the tray below.

I’m going to ask Moyer hatchery next time I talk to them about it and if the large scalers are doing it for automation or hatch rates.

Interesting....

Busy week!! Hang in there! I hope help is coming soon!

As far as the egg position during incubation, I'm intrigued though I primarily incubate and hatch horizontally so I'm not sure if I subscribe to the whole upright thing...again I'm also the big chicken that doesn't order shipped eggs. lol
I just pulled up this YouTube video of a tour through Murray McMurray Hatchery that I watched a while back and they use hatching trays that can be seen around 4:30 and they do incubate vertically that can be seen earlier in the video. This really just leaves me with more questions not less though. lol!!

 

[PirateGirl]

The rest of my eggs died!

But I have 2 babies.

 

[SueT]

This really just leaves me with more questions not less though. lol!!

He also says they only provide heat for the first 7 days because the embryos make their own heat? and they have coils to cool them? Did you hear that? Maybe because there are thousands of eggs....

 

[CluckNDoodle]

He also says they only provide heat for the first 7 days because the embryos make their own heat? and they have coils to cool them? Did you hear that? Maybe because there are thousands of eggs....

Yes, I remembered that part and thought it was really cool! It is because they have sooo many developing eggs in there that they start producing their own heat. Pretty amazing if you think about it!