March hatch along

[johnderosa1]

So, when you're counting your incubation days, remember Day 1 is 24 hours after you set. For example, I set on the Thursday evening of Feb 13th. So the day 1 mark for me was the evening of Feb 14th. Another easy way to remember is that Hatch Day  (Day 21) will always be the same day of the week that you set. I set on a Thursday, so my hatch day is a Thursday (late on a Thursday...right now actually!).

I used to count the day I set as day 1, and then get really freaked out when eggs weren't hatching. I was so relieved when someone corrected me.

I always count the day set as day 1 and my eggs always seem to hatch on day 21... I set mine on the 14th and first one was pipped this morning.

 

[Joshua G]

Well, I'm starting some duck eggs tomorrow so I think I'll join this thread.

 

[Joshua G]

Aren't duck eggs supposed to have a higher humidity then chicken eggs?
Also, if you are familiar with Holderread farm owned by Dave Holderread (who was the author of "Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks")
says that at their farm they wash their eggs before they incubate them because more eggs die from being dirty then from the bloom being washed off.
Anybody have any thoughts on this?

 

[JadedPhoenix]

I set late in the day too, so I went ahead and didn't count that day in my head, just to keep me from being too crazy next week lol.

I was told that if you set after noon, that day isn't counted anyway. Count the next day as day one. I set at about three in the afternoon so I skipped that day as my first day. I'm expecting hatches between saturday night and sunday morning. Fingers crossed.

 

[carcar80]

Aren't duck eggs supposed to have a higher humidity then chicken eggs?
Also, if you are familiar with Holderread farm owned by Dave Holderread (who was the author of "Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks")
says that at their farm they wash their eggs before they incubate them because more eggs die from being dirty then from the bloom being washed off.
Anybody have any thoughts on this?

Hi and welcome!!

I've only ever hatched ducks- these will be my first chicks coming up.. I don't recall doing anything differently with humidity UNTIL hatch time. If you tell us what kind of bator you have we might better give advice if one of us has used the same one.

The duck eggs have a pretty thick membrane and it can dry out very easily during hatch.

As for washing, I'm very anti-wash with my eggs. At most I use a dry paper towel or rough-textured rag and get the "big chunks" (of dirt/mud) off, lol. Duck eggs seem worse for this since mine actually make a nest.. Not so much a prob with hens in laying boxes..

If one is really dirty with fecal matter then i do sometimes moisten a cloth and clean just that area.

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

I was told that if you set after noon, that day isn't counted anyway. Count the next day as day one. I set at about three in the afternoon so I skipped that day as my first day. I'm expecting hatches between saturday night and sunday morning. Fingers crossed.

Yeah, I think that's a good rule too.

I still like "set on a Thursday, hatch on Thursday" the best. It's the only way I can remember. And it seems to be working for me this time I set at 9:00 on a Thursday, and I just had 4 more hatch in the last half hour, with 2 more zipping. They're very punctual this time around!

I often have a few hatch on day 20, an sometimes even as late as day 23, but for the most part, they seem to fall right on day 21.

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

Aren't duck eggs supposed to have a higher humidity then chicken eggs?
Also, if you are familiar with Holderread farm owned by Dave Holderread (who was the author of "Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks")
says that at their farm they wash their eggs before they incubate them because more eggs die from being dirty then from the bloom being washed off.
Anybody have any thoughts on this?

I do wash mine if they're dirty. If they're not, then I leave them be. I've heard the bloom slowly dissolves in the humidity anyway, and it's better to have clean eggs. I don't know if that's true, but it seems to work for me.

 

[JadedPhoenix]

Yeah, I think that's a good rule too.

I still like "set on a Thursday, hatch on Thursday" the best. It's the only way I can remember. And it seems to be working for me this time I set at 9:00 on a Thursday, and I just had 4 more hatch in the last half hour, with 2 more zipping. They're very punctual this time around!

I often have a few hatch on day 20, an sometimes even as late as day 23, but for the most part, they seem to fall right on day 21.

Well, the hatch rule still applies, for the most part. I set about three in the afternoon on Saturday and I expect my first babies to start showing themselves this Saturday night, Sunday morning. Needless to day I'll be going to church with no sleep!!

 

[Joshua G]

Quote: I have two incubators, a GQF 1588 Hova-Bator and a Little Giant 9200 converted into a forced air incubator with a homemade fan.

Quote: Ok, thanks.

 

[BroosterSpringsteen]

Well, the hatch rule still applies, for the most part. I set about three in the afternoon on Saturday and I expect my first babies to start showing themselves this Saturday night, Sunday morning. Needless to day I'll be going to church with no sleep!!

Exciting! I hope it goes well!

I'm kind of tempted to stay up tonight and watch them hatch. It's snowing, and I'm playing the dangerous game of assuming school will be cancelled tomorrow.