Mandarin eggs- on their sides or in an egg carton?

[chickenlisa]

I'm near hatching day/lockdown with 9 Mandarin eggs in my incubator. How do they hatch better- on their sides or at an angle standing up in a 'way cut down egg' carton?

 

[Mark HSV-AL]

On their sides and once the duckling gets into what it determines is the best position to hatch it is not good to move them. Also remember that sometimes they might stay pipped without hatching for over a day so keep the humidity up so they dont dry out and stick to the inner membrane.

 

[chickenlisa]

yep, thanks. Just took them out of carton and laid them on their sides. Thought I remembered that from last year, but wasn't sure. I"m not touching them now...and will keep the humidity up and then when pips show up, even higher.
Thanks again!
Lisa

 

[destinduck]

Mark I wonder if Im the only person you know that just leaves them in the auto turner to hatch. I use forced air hovabators with the auto turners you buy for em. I did em on the sides also before I got the auto turners but I found out if i did both methods It works great especially if I dont have time or forget about them. I just hatched out a potporri just 2 minutes ago. Three red goldens ,a cuban. a redhead and two cape teal LOL! I have a red golden hen setting on two shoveler eggs and her own 6.( she layed her eggs on the shoveler nestbox crazy huh?) Joey was here for the weekend and he brought me a ring and cinnamon teal While in the pen we shoved 3 more redhead eggs under another red golden hen.I let him get pecked on that one

Hope you and your birds are doing well.

 

[Mark HSV-AL]

Yes, you are the only person I know who is so lazy he cant even take his eggs out of the turner for them to hatch

 

[destinduck]

that auto turner is like me. It moves REAL slow! Sometimes Ill put them in the hatcher if its not full. They are all hovabators. If I break down and get a cabinet I will get back up to 150 ducks again and I told the wife Im cutting down to only 20 pairs of all type birds after breeding seasons over.Now what I didnt tell her was that each pair starts at 400 dollars and the top end is about 3,000. Less is more! LOL! But seriously Im getting too old to keep up with that many any more.Especially during breeding season and my son dont help me with any of em anymore. 30-40 birds would be just right this quackhead's addiction needs. BTW my Magellan is now setting good on 8 eggs. Them and the Baikals are some of the few I really want to keep for breeding.

 

[chickenlisa]

you guys are too funny!

But seriously, I candled those Mandy eggs last night thinking I had killed them with too high humidity. I saw movement- like trying to internally pip. So back in they went and I'll keep the humidity up...Maybe day 23 wasn't really day 23...maybe 18 eggs didn't get equal sitting and equal temps from Mommy Mandarin. So maybe they're ok and just later than I thought....the beat goes on......the beat goes on....(name that tune.)

 

[destinduck]

Also Lisa sometimes after most hatch. Some will be a day or two late...Extras

Good luck and PICS! If I remember tommorrow I will put a too cute pic up.

 

[chickenlisa]

Thanks! We have a pip and that egg is rockin' and rollin'! Go baby! (I hope the 8 others get going soon too!)
now 2 pips!!!

4 eggs now!

5 pips!!!

and the beat goes on.....7 pips! Talk about slow babies though...the 1st pips are progressing . but these are not fast zippers for sure! Or else I'm just impatient to see them! Could be that...

 

[destinduck]

Sweet!

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