MAY Hatch-Along!!!! Let's do this!!!

[WallabyOfChaos]

WOW, I'm sure surprised to see all the folks that are setting eggs in may. And I'm excited to be one of them 
I have 10 Mexican speckled quail and 2 Coturnix Quail (my favorite) set in my tiny home-made bator.
I'm hoping to also get some chicken eggs set by may 27 in a store bought incubator to hatch out on fathers day. 
Hopefully my parents will allow it  fingers crossed

I don't have a store bought bator yet and was still shopping around for one, I was leaning towards the hova bator without the turner
(I think it fun to turn them) Any recommendation?

BTW
 I only plan on hatching once in a while so any think under $70$ is acceptable.

I have a Hova Bator 1601N still air that has served me well with chicken and guinea eggs.

 

[wordgirl]

I thought that too, but I lowered my humidity down from 55% last week because my air cells were too small. I read that lowering the humidity makes the air cells bigger. Hmm...what should I do? Lockdown is Friday and I'm planning on raising the humidity to the 70-80% range. What's the best temperature for lockdown?

Lowering humidity does cause more water to evaporate (or it should) from the egg (less water in the air=dryer=water will move out of egg=bigger air cell). Definitely raise humidity for hatch - you can't let the membranes dry out, or the ducklings will have trouble hatching, I think.

How small are they exactly? Can you take a picture?

Keep spritzing your eggs - that helps dehydration, actually, even though it seems counterintuitive. I think it may have to do with making the egg shells more porous (so more water can move out through them).

 

[Diamond88]

Lowering humidity does cause more water to evaporate (or it should) from the egg (less water in the air=dryer=water will move out of egg=bigger air cell). Definitely raise humidity for hatch - you can't let the membranes dry out, or the ducklings will have trouble hatching, I think.

How small are they exactly? Can you take a picture?

Keep spritzing your eggs - that helps dehydration, actually, even though it seems counterintuitive. I think it may have to do with making the egg shells more porous (so more water can move out through them).

Awesome, thanks! I'd say the air cells are...maybe an inch? Not sure exactly, but they didn't look any bigger than they did when I candled them around day 10. That's why I was concerned. I added a little water to the incubator today, so the humidity is going up a bit. And, yes, I'll definitely be sure to raise it significantly during lockdown and the hatch. What should my temperature be for lockdown and hatching? In the meantime, I'll keep spritzing the eggs and cooling them for a few minutes a day.

 

[mrgreenjeans53]

Tractor Supply (TSC) has "Little Giant" Still Air's for $39.99. That's all I have ever used, except for 1 home-made one that my dad built for me when I was 9 years old.....(50 years ago....lol). LG's do sometimes have problems with steady temps but you can control that pretty much by checking it often. I found that most of the ones I had problems with was caused by a faulty lid, (Slightly warped). I used 2 short 2x4's, standing on edge, on either side of the lid. That cured the problem and temps stayed good throughout the incubation.

 

[mrgreenjeans53]

One of my 4 baby Mallards is not a Mallard at all !!!!!!! The one that had the shell stuck to its back is: black with a tan colored chest and underbody. Its bill is black, Its legs are black, its toes are black and the webbing on its feet is orange. All of the eggs were the same color, blue with a hint of green. The man I got the eggs from had a few beautiful black & white ducks on his farm but didn't know the name of the breed. Any Ideas on what breed this little duckling is? I would post a pic but I can't find my camera....lol.


Thanks

 

[mettafour]

Can I join in here? I should have some eggs hatching in a couple days (fingers crossed). One of my ancona ducks is currently sitting on 5 eggs. She started on 15, moved her nest about 2 weeks in and only took 6 eggs, last week I took a black egg off the nest, so, we are down to that five. I have no idea what I'm doing, nor does she for that matter. It is her first brood. Any suggestions or recommendations?

 

[fowllover]

WOW, I'm sure surprised to see all the folks that are setting eggs in may.

And I'm excited to be one of them

I have 10 Mexican speckled quail and 2 Coturnix Quail (my favorite) set in my tiny home-made bator.

I'm hoping to also get some chicken eggs set by may 27 in a store bought incubator to hatch out on fathers day.
Hopefully my parents will allow it

fingers crossed

I don't have a store bought bator yet and was still shopping around for one, I was leaning towards the hova bator without the turner
(I think it fun to turn them) Any recommendation?

BTW
I only plan on hatching once in a while so any think under $70$ is acceptable.

Hello! I havent tried Quail but we have been contemplating trying it out at some point. We have a Little Giant and 2 Hovabator incubators. I love the way that the Hovabators stay consistent. It seems to me that the Little Giant will fluctuate on the heat more.

 

[fowllover]

I have a duck that laid an egg in a new nest. If I take the egg to incubate, will she keep laying there or should I leave it there to entice more eggs? At what does everyone steal their eggs from their ducks?

 

[WallabyOfChaos]

Well... I accidentally cracked an egg when I was turning them this morning. So what to do? leave it in or throw it out?

 

[Nsampsel]

OHHHHHH...I just found this!!! I set 13 ducks in the past 2 1/2 weeks. Can I still join in? I have a staggered hatch in progress.

Here is what I set:
2 runners & 2 saxonies on the 11th due to hatch on June 8th
7 calls on the 13th due to hatch on June 7th
2 Black East Indies on the 17th due to hatch on June 14th

I also have 72 chicken eggs of assorted varieties in the bator or under the broody scheduled to hatch every couple days from May 30th to June 7th