Setting duck eggs on Saturday, 8/18 - Anyone wanna join? (Set by next Saturday for chicken eggs)

[bigred7469]

Well this is how my day is going

 

[just2rosey]

Oh, No! What happened ( if you care to tell us)? I hope that nothing else went wrong. Get Well soon!

Well, I just candled and I see definite development in 11 of my 24 eggs, I have a few more that are porous and I can't tell. I won't toss any for a few more days I want to be absolutely certain before I toss any. I just started my egg turner today. I have found that when I start eggs upright and still like this that the early development can be hard to see. I hope I will be pleasantly surprised and find a few more eggs are developing.

How about everyone else, have you candled and how are your eggs?

 

[yo burrill]

I just set 19 EE eggs this morning. Still having issues with my temp. Guess i have to take out my thermostat and drill holes in it. Will do it the next really warm day we have.

 

[Pyxis]

I broke down and candled mine - I have no idea what I'm looking at XD But, I did see something that looked a little like veins forming in one of them. Thinking I'm gonna up the temp a bit - my water wiggler says internal egg temp is low - don't know if I really trust my accurite thermometer from walmart so we'll see...

And good luck with the EE eggs! Are they the first eggs you've incubated or are you an old pro? My eggs are my first.

And Red, oh no! What happened? I hope the rest of your day was better...

 

[bigred7469]

I hurt my self in April. Heck I have ran a half marathon on it but when I went to the third doctor today they stated I had a fractored ankle and need a cast then they reset it. OOOOOOOCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but it already feels a world better. No I want to candle eggs the eggs but I'm waiting a few more days I hope. What does EE eggs stand for?

 

[yo burrill]

I am no pro but am figuring out what doesnt work. I have hatched a few by incubating them the whole time but cant get my bator to be steady enough. The last few have been under the broody till almost hatch time. Them I bring them in. All five hatched that I brought in last wednesday. I have four more under the same broody that are due tomorrow. I cant leave babies with momma cause mine free range and my Boxer seems to think he needs to bring me all the babies he can find. And the hawks get the rest. I tried to move broody to a covered pen this morning and she was having none of it. I ended up putting her box back where she had it only then did she set back down on the eggs. I'll have to wait till they hatch before moving her I guess.

 

[Pyxis]

Easter Egger. They're mixed breeds derived from Aracaunas and Americaunas. They lay beautiful blue and green eggs, and sometimes pink. I have three myself

 

[Pyxis]

I am no pro but am figuring out what doesnt work. I have hatched a few by incubating them the whole time but cant get my bator to be steady enough. The last few have been under the broody till almost hatch time. Them I bring them in. All five hatched that I brought in last wednesday. I have four more under the same broody that are due tomorrow. I cant leave babies with momma cause mine free range and my Boxer seems to think he needs to bring me all the babies he can find. And the hawks get the rest. I tried to move broody to a covered pen this morning and she was having none of it. I ended up putting her box back where she had it only then did she set back down on the eggs. I'll have to wait till they hatch before moving her I guess.

Aww, that's too bad you can't leave them with mama hen. My EE Thistle just raised a brood of her own. The worst we have around here are ravens and the occasional red tailed hawk, but the moms usually do pretty well. Thistle only lost one chick this time and that's because it fell into the duck's little splash pan and couldn't find the ramp out and drowned It's such fun to watch moms with their chicks. I moved Thistle to a better locale before she hatched her babies. The way I did it was I put a dog kennel right where her nest was when she was taking her off the nest break for the day, and I put the eggs in there. She went right in to sit on them, and then I closed the kennel up and moved her at night.

 

[just2rosey]

I just set 19 EE eggs this morning. Still having issues with my temp. Guess i have to take out my thermostat and drill holes in it. Will do it the next really warm day we have.

When you do, make sure you put it in a vice while drilling. DO NOT drill with it in your hand. My poor hubby did this making a bator for me last year and put the drill bit through his finger.

I felt SSOOOOO bad for him when it happened. Drilling the holes does make a big difference in how steady the temps are, though. I will warn you, I found after a few hatches that dust and fluff from chicks which gets int he incubator seems to mess with the water heater thermostats and they get where they don't cycle as well as they do initially. Mine gave me far more problems this year than last.

 

[yo burrill]

Thanks for the info just 2rosey!!
Pyxis. Usually I dont have a problem moving her but boy she wanted none of it yesterday!! I'll have to wait till they hatch hopefully tomorrow. I candled them yesterday and none had internally pipped so I dont think it will be today. I really want to keep her with the chicks. I made a separate covered pen for her. Now just have to get her in it with the babies.