Need BIG help hatching duck eggs, please!

[redhen]

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thanks again!....you are awesome!...

..i will have to hand turn....i dont know about a fan in it though...also..i have never even seen one before...

...where does the water go?..and how much do i put in it?...do i need to add wet sponges and stuff...

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..i'm so confused!....so, use 2 thermo's , one at the top and one at the middle?...i just sent hubby to walmart to get one..i have a feeling he is going to come ome with a reptile one...you know those ones you buy?..they are round small things........so, should i send him back to the cooking section..and get a cooking thermo.?...and dont use a probe one?...use a sticky one?..but..how do i get it to attach to the inside of the bator?..i know you must be like, what a flippin IDIOT she is!...

.....LOL...

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[shelleyd2008]

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None of mine have fans (I have 3

) except for one that I added a fan to, and I haven't had any luck hatching in that one, so I think I'm gonna take the fan out.
When you get it, you'll see that there are 3 little 'troughs' built into the bottom of the bator, one that goes all the way around the center, then one on each side of that. In mine, I had to fill all 3 of those, plus I put 2 sponges on top of the wire. (this was for incubation) For the hatch, I had done this, plus added 3 small bowls with water and sponges, and 3 folded up paper towels, just to get the humidity up to 80%!! (Make sure to take the vent plugs out for the hatch...this will also make it hard to get the humidity up, but the little fellas need to breathe!!)
There are so many different types of thermometers!! The ones I spoke of are just the ones that I have, I'm not about to pay $20-$30 for a thermometer, so that's what I did. A lot of people use reptile thermometers, I'm not sure how those work. The ones I was talking about are just like a box. If you got a cooking thermometer, get the ones like are used in the milk cooler at the grocery, but then you would need a hygrometer, as those don't have them. The two that I spoke of have stands on them, so they don't stick anywhere.


And no, I don't think you're an idiot!!

You're just like me, and don't want to fudge it up!! I have been hatching since June, and each time I have tried a new kind of bird (i.e. quail or ducks, rather than just chickens) I have been just like you! It's better to be safe than sorry!

Oh, and a lot of people use the probe thermometers, I can't spend that much $$ on something that is not necessary. If you do get one, you'll probably need a water wiggler. I tried using a meat thermo, and it would read 106+, so that was the end of that!! DS got the wigglers, and I went back to the old faithfuls!

 

[redhen]

okay..thanks!...i will look for the thermo.'s on a stand...thanks so much!...i really, really dont want to screw this up..

....poor baby ducks if i do...

..i would feel so horriable!...how long do i let them set before i put them in the bator?..a day?....i'm getting excited !...

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[shelleyd2008]

Are they shipped?

If so, you need to candle them when you get them, to see if there are any cracks, double yolks, or 'free-floating' air cells. Cracks (depending on the severity) and double yolks (verrrrrry hard to hatch) need to be removed.
If there are not any 'floaters' you can let them settle for about 8 hours, so they can get warmed up, and then put them in. If there are 'floaters' I would leave them, big end up, in an egg carton for at least 24 hours, so the air cell can 'possibly' resettle itself.
I have been told the ones with 'floating' air cells don't hatch, or don't hatch well. I have one egg in my bator right now, on day 9, that not only is cracked, but still has a floater, and it is developing as well as the others.

 

[redhen]

so..i need to make a candler?...with a flashlight?....and..the air sacks should be at the big end right?..if they are in the middle..they are floaters?...my big concern is temps and humidity....i am still pretty confused about how to ensure accurate temp/humidity...because i read (still trying to research this also..) that even 1-2 degrees off can mess up a a hatch...

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[shelleyd2008]

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I've tried making a candler, but the light got so hot I was afraid I'd cook them!! I just use a small LED flashlight, and it works just fine. Just make sure to shine it through the air sac (and yes it should be in the big end), and the whole egg will light up! That is, until the duckling gets too big for the light to shine through. But you should be able to see veins and moving well into the third week. Well moving up till the end, and veins till about day 21-22 (that's how mine were).
The one I have that is a 'floater', the air sac moves to be 'on top', no matter which way you have the egg positioned. If the air sac is on the side, setting it big end up should make it stay. If you have a lot that are moving, it might be better to set them in an egg carton, just make sure the thermometer is level with the top of the egg (99-101 degrees) or midway up of the egg (99 degrees). In a still air bator, anywhere from 97-103 is not bad, provided it is not at either extreme for long. If it is higher than 100 it may cause an early hatch, and lower than 100 may cause a late hatch. Just try to keep it between 99-101 (as close to 100 as you can get) and you should be fine, but be very very careful when adjusting the temps!! I can not stress that enough! The LG is very touchy, and the slightest change cna send it through the roof!

(P.S.~~Relax!!! It is really not that hard! Just make sure you don't run out of water, your temps don't get and stay too high or low, and you should get baby ducks out of it! And make sure you WASH YOUR HANDS!! before you turn them! Might be a good idea to get some latex gloves! That's on my list of 'things to waste money on'! )

 

[shelleyd2008]

Another P.S.

If the bator is used (which it sounds like it is) be sure to clean it with hot soapy water, rinse with bleach water, then rinse the crud out of it! Also, let it air dry to get the bleach smell out of it ( a hair dryer works well in a pinch). Oh, and don't get the top of it wet, or you'll fry the thermostat! (not good!)