hi all, ive been lurking and reading alot of posts on here during my first incubation, but thought that i had better register so i can share my first pics.
i started on the 21st march at 9.15pm with 12 duck eggs 6 were cayuga or aylesbury's and the other 6 were silver appleyards. i bought a covina 12 incubator and got the eggs free with it.
i had done some research on the net and the son of the people who ran the farm i got it all from gave me some more advice as he had hatched lots of different eggs all at the young age of 12!!
so in they all went and a few days later i candled them all and found 6 fertile and 6 not. i had marked one side with a 'X' and the other with a 'O' and planned to turn them 3 times a day at 8am 3pm and 10pm. i later noticed that one was starting to smell and at about the 12 day i decided it was dead. seeing as im learning i thought i would take the opportunity to crack the egg open and see what was inside. it seemed (by comparing what i saw to the pics on the net) that this one had died at only a few days old.
i went on to lose another 2 at different stages, opening them both times to see what development stage they had died at. the last one was only a few days ago about day 23 and it was almost fully formed but for some horrible looking grey blobs for eyes.
so we get to day 28 and nothing, not a 'peep' (excuse the pun)
i started to worry that i had killed them all by over candling or not having the right temp/humidity etc. or that the way the light in the incubator goes on and off for 15 and 13 seconds respectively, was in fact a fault and not normal.
however at last on day 30 i noticed some noise coming from one of my remaining 3 eggs. i could hear a tap tap tapping and a whistling noise (from one of the two remaining marked 'SA' for silver appleyard!!). then i noticed later on that day that the shell had a small crack in it. i candled the other two eggs to see if there was anything going on in there and noticed that one had a bill shaped shadow going into the air sac, but the other one had nothing. the air sac was still small and there was no movement or visable veins, i really think this one is a gonner but im going to leave it be until the second egg has hatched.
so cut to last night and egg number one is not making much progress out of its shell and number two has pipped. after some frantic reassuring research on the net i decided that after nearly 24 hours with not much in the way of progress, i would see if i could help the little fluff ball out. well i was up until 3.45am helping 'him' out and putting him down again and hoping 'he' would finish on his own, but in the end i pretty much did most of it for 'him'.
when 'he' (oh forget the '''s just assume for now he is a boy and ill find out in time if im right or wrong) finally tried to kick off the shell, i realised that he was still attached by his umbilical cord, so i left him for about an hour and then gently pulled the shell off him and the cord just came away with no bleeding or anything. phewwwwwww!!!!
egg number two has still only got a tiny hole but i can see movement so i will try to sit back a bit this time and see what happens, but i dont want it dying in its shell. i think i can see a little black bill so i think its more likely to be a cayuga.
duck one is now dried off and in his new brooder, namely an indoor guinea pig run, with lots of fine cut straw, some food and water and a nice warm heat lamp (for which i need to grab another thermometer as i think it might be a little to warm under there even though he seems quite happy and asleep under it)
now fingers crossed for number two and then ill give it all a good clean and start all over again.
i am keeping them at home for about 6 weeks then i will take them down to my stables where they will share their home with about 30 chickens and 15 odd horses including my 1 year old cob, Alaskian.
so i know have two and a half ducks, 1 chicken, 1 horse, 4 cats, 2 dogs and a hamster!!! the zoo is starting up again
thanks for reading if you got this far
love nykxx
i started on the 21st march at 9.15pm with 12 duck eggs 6 were cayuga or aylesbury's and the other 6 were silver appleyards. i bought a covina 12 incubator and got the eggs free with it.
i had done some research on the net and the son of the people who ran the farm i got it all from gave me some more advice as he had hatched lots of different eggs all at the young age of 12!!
so in they all went and a few days later i candled them all and found 6 fertile and 6 not. i had marked one side with a 'X' and the other with a 'O' and planned to turn them 3 times a day at 8am 3pm and 10pm. i later noticed that one was starting to smell and at about the 12 day i decided it was dead. seeing as im learning i thought i would take the opportunity to crack the egg open and see what was inside. it seemed (by comparing what i saw to the pics on the net) that this one had died at only a few days old.
i went on to lose another 2 at different stages, opening them both times to see what development stage they had died at. the last one was only a few days ago about day 23 and it was almost fully formed but for some horrible looking grey blobs for eyes.
so we get to day 28 and nothing, not a 'peep' (excuse the pun)
i started to worry that i had killed them all by over candling or not having the right temp/humidity etc. or that the way the light in the incubator goes on and off for 15 and 13 seconds respectively, was in fact a fault and not normal.
however at last on day 30 i noticed some noise coming from one of my remaining 3 eggs. i could hear a tap tap tapping and a whistling noise (from one of the two remaining marked 'SA' for silver appleyard!!). then i noticed later on that day that the shell had a small crack in it. i candled the other two eggs to see if there was anything going on in there and noticed that one had a bill shaped shadow going into the air sac, but the other one had nothing. the air sac was still small and there was no movement or visable veins, i really think this one is a gonner but im going to leave it be until the second egg has hatched.
so cut to last night and egg number one is not making much progress out of its shell and number two has pipped. after some frantic reassuring research on the net i decided that after nearly 24 hours with not much in the way of progress, i would see if i could help the little fluff ball out. well i was up until 3.45am helping 'him' out and putting him down again and hoping 'he' would finish on his own, but in the end i pretty much did most of it for 'him'.
when 'he' (oh forget the '''s just assume for now he is a boy and ill find out in time if im right or wrong) finally tried to kick off the shell, i realised that he was still attached by his umbilical cord, so i left him for about an hour and then gently pulled the shell off him and the cord just came away with no bleeding or anything. phewwwwwww!!!!
egg number two has still only got a tiny hole but i can see movement so i will try to sit back a bit this time and see what happens, but i dont want it dying in its shell. i think i can see a little black bill so i think its more likely to be a cayuga.
duck one is now dried off and in his new brooder, namely an indoor guinea pig run, with lots of fine cut straw, some food and water and a nice warm heat lamp (for which i need to grab another thermometer as i think it might be a little to warm under there even though he seems quite happy and asleep under it)
now fingers crossed for number two and then ill give it all a good clean and start all over again.
i am keeping them at home for about 6 weeks then i will take them down to my stables where they will share their home with about 30 chickens and 15 odd horses including my 1 year old cob, Alaskian.
so i know have two and a half ducks, 1 chicken, 1 horse, 4 cats, 2 dogs and a hamster!!! the zoo is starting up again
thanks for reading if you got this far
love nykxx
