Pheasant incubation for a beginner

[birdbeginner]

Hi there, I'm new to the site and pheasant hatching and so I'm looking for advice please. To cut a long story short we rescued some pheasant eggs, the mother sadly died so we have taken the eggs in and are currently sitting under a home made incubator. I know success rates are quite low for pheasant eggs but we at least want to give them a chance at life. My question is, when you put the eggs in the incubator - do you count 23ish days until hatching or do you count it from when the hen had laid them (she had sat on them for a little while too) Thanks in advance for your help

 

[Tony K T]

You count from the day she started to set.It takes ringnecks 25-26 days to hatch.Are you set up with a brooder for them?How long was the hen off from the eggs until you found them?
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[birdbeginner]

Thanks for the reply. We will be building a brooder. I think she was off of them for about 2 hours before we set them up in an incubator. The day we moved them, I managed to see the veins on the eggs but I'm trying to date them and I'm not really sure how old they are. Obviously timing is important and I want to make sure that I'm ready for lockdown, is there a way to tell how far along they are? I've been trying to research as much as I can for the last few days and have found this website to be very useful! Any hints or tips will be greatly appreciated

 

[pheasantfrenzie]

When you candled them besides the veins if they were far enough along you would be able to see the chick in the inside depending on how large the chicks is you should be able to tell how far along they are. If you were only to see the veins it is in stage 1, if you can see the eye balls and a larger form stage 2, if it is completely black inside then they are pretty much ready to hatch. Good luck I hope you get them to hatch.

 

[birdbeginner]

Thanks, will check tonight - fingers crossed!

 

[birdbeginner]

The shells seem to be too thick to see anything, I've tried different ways of candling and nothing is working. I will just have to wait and see

 

[pheasantfrenzie]

Sorry I forgot about how dark they are. Also the less you handles them the better off they will be because ringnecks are hard to hatch without the mother. How long have you had them and about how long do you think the mother was stitting. Keep me updated I would like to know how many hatch.

 

[birdbeginner]

They've been in the incubator for 7 days, the only time we handle them is when we turn them. I'm not sure how long she had been sitting on them before we got to them but from when she left till when we put them in the incubator was about 2 hours. I will keep you guys informed!

 

[pheasantfrenzie]

If you are turning them by hand I would highly suggest getting an automatic one because every time you open the incubator to turn them you are loosing heat and the humidity and with ringnecks it will be harder to hatch. It is so worth the 40 in the long run.

 

[gary04]

I just got done hatching 7 out of 12 pheasant eggs . I started out with a home made incubator then bought a incuview incubator with the automatic turner it is great. Still have 5 more eggs in it but do not think they are okay I candled them last night and can see them kinder but there is no movement at all. They are ringneck and have been in the incubator for 26 days now will let them stay there until day 30 if no movement then I think they will not hatch. It is amazing how fast they can run the next day.