Lock down humidity help

[WVduckchick]

O
well now it's just time to wait then hope they break through the egg soon :-0

How many do you have still going?

 

[won023]

How many do you have still going?

I'm trying to hatch 5 magpie ducks and 5 are doing well at the moment all moving very actively hopeful they hatch soon

 

[WVduckchick]

Awesome! I hope they all hatch!

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I'm trying to hatch 5 magpie ducks and 5 are doing well at the moment all moving very actively hopeful they hatch soon

Glad it appears to be going well!

5 of them!

 

[WVduckchick]

@won023 anything happening yet?

 

[dawn secord]

Hi all,

I have a little dilemma. There are four eggs in my incubator. In the past two years I've been trying to just get pullets. I had two sets of 3 eggs hatch under my old broodie white silkie hen. Of the 6 eggs, only 1 pullet. Then my favorite silkie died (I was going to use her image as a character in a childrens book series I am illustrating). She was a golden color. So I went and bought 3 silkie chicks from a breeder. All turned out to be males.

I'm doomed with boys - and it is so hard to find homes for them. (for any one counting - that is 1 girl and 8 boys)

So I kept a silkie boy and he made whoopie with my rescue bantam frizzled cochin. She laid two eggs and I put them in a newly purchased incubator since my silkie hen won't set right now. Then the next day my cochin laid another egg. I put it in the incubator. Then on the 4th day - she laid another egg. I put it in the incubator. The cochin came from a dear friend who died unexpectedly in June. I was hoping for some sizzles to use as models for my illustrations.

Well, they are not all going to hatch on the same day. I thought (if I am fortunate enough for all to hatch) that I'd take the first two out after they hatch and dry and put them in the set up I have for baby chicks. When eggs 3 and 4 hatch, I'll wait for them to dry and put them in with the other two chicks. Lots of assuming going on here.

The question is - if I take the first two out so they can have food and water - what am I doing to the lock down for eggs 3 & 4? I've candled them all and they are all viable and doing well.

Any suggestions?

 

[WVduckchick]

Hi all,

I have a little dilemma.   There are four eggs in my incubator.   In the past two years I've been trying to just get pullets.  I had two sets of 3 eggs hatch under my old broodie white silkie hen.  Of the 6 eggs, only 1 pullet.   Then my favorite silkie died (I was going to use her image as a character in a childrens book series I am illustrating).  She was a golden color.  So I went and bought 3 silkie chicks from a breeder.  All turned out to be males. 

I'm doomed with boys - and it is so hard to find homes for them.  (for any one counting - that is 1 girl and 8 boys)

So I kept a silkie boy and he made whoopie with my rescue bantam frizzled cochin.   She laid two eggs and I put them in a newly purchased incubator since my silkie hen won't set right now.   Then the next day my cochin laid another egg.  I put it in the incubator.  Then on the 4th day - she laid another egg.  I put it in the incubator.   The cochin came from a dear friend who died unexpectedly in June.  I was hoping for some sizzles to use as models for my illustrations.

Well, they are not all going to hatch on the same day.   I thought (if I am fortunate enough for all to hatch) that I'd take the first two out after they hatch and dry and put them in the set up I have for baby chicks.  When eggs 3 and 4 hatch, I'll wait for them to dry and put them in with the other two chicks.  Lots of assuming going on here. 

The question is - if I take the first two out so they can have food and water - what am I doing to the lock down for eggs 3 & 4?   I've candled them all and they are all viable and doing well.

Any suggestions?

So you have a 3 day spread? That's not too awful. I'd wait until day 19 of the first eggs, and crank up the humidity. A day late for the first ones, and a day-ish early for the others. I take chicks out all the time as they hatch, whenever there is a break in the action. As long as you don't have active zippers, and you do it quickly (and carefully) and humidity gets back up quickly, it's really no big deal. I know there are plenty of scare tactics about opening the incubator, and it's not something you want to do over and over. But just to pull a couple chicks... no big problem.

Good vibes for girls!!!!

 

[dawn secord]

Thank you. I've been worried sick about this. What humidity do you recommend?

 

[dawn secord]

My bantam eggs usually hatch at day 19 - 2 days early. They are like clockwork - always at day 19.

 

[WVduckchick]

Thank you.  I've been worried sick about this.   What humidity do you recommend?

I try to keep around 65-70%
What day are they on? Air cells looking good? Silkied do tend to hatch a little early for many of us.