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

[Major_in_MS]

My 19 mixed duck eggs should start hatching on Sunday, September 16 and be 95% done by 0800 on 9/17.

Since I'm off work that weekend, pictures should be abundant.

 

[bigred7469]

So what are the ducks for? Eating? Egg laying? Or just to have running around the place?

Red

 

[just2rosey]

I candled again, too. I added several more to the viable egg category. So I have 15 out of 24 shipped eggs growing.

That's not bad for shipped eggs, but I don't think shipping was the real problem. I suspect there was a fertility problem with some of the eggs. The eggs were from two different colors, from two separate auctions from the same breeder, but shipping was combined and they all shipped in the same box. I have 2 viable eggs out of 10 from one set, and 13 out of 14 from the other.

I can't decide whether to complain or not. Over all 15 out of 24 isn't bad for shipped eggs, especially if they hatch out alright.

I can't wait to see the little duck pictures, they are the cutest things.

Some day I will have a bigger place and a pond, and I will get ducks, too.

 

[Pyxis]

Great! When are yours due to hatch? I need everybody's hatch dates

 

[bigred7469]

I can't stop looking at the eggs.

 

[Pyxis]

Neither can I, lol. Some of mine are coming along really well, two seem to be doing nothing at all, and others I really just don't know about. Also, my incubator is getting mighty full:

I gave the silkie hen eight eggs to set, which I figured was plenty for her. That left me with four. I didn't even have enough room for them all in the egg cartons, so the ones with the best air sacks went horizontal on the floor. I do believe that on Saturday, if my two ducks egg that I think are infertile are still doing nothing, they're getting the boot so those eggs can go into the cartons. It'll make turning loads easier.

Oh, ignore the 95 reading on that one thermometer. I had just set it in to check the accuracy of the other and it was still getting caught up.

 

[bigred7469]

@ Pyxis

Ya your incubator is pretty full! Do the egg cartons help on hatch rates or does it just make tuning easier for you?

 

[yo burrill]

Set Mine Tuesday morning and last night see veins already!! Found one egg to be cracked through (cant believe I didn't notice it the first time) on the bottom so pulled that one and cracked it. It already had a little tiny chick big enough to see the eye!!!! I cant stop looking at mine at night right before I go to bed either!!!!

Friend has an old camper that's gutted, Im going to go get sunday to make into and huge coop!! Love it!!!

 

[Pyxis]

@ Pyxis

Ya your incubator is pretty full!  Do the egg cartons help on hatch rates or does it just make tuning easier for you?

The egg cartons make turning a lot easier, but they also help the air sacks in shipped eggs settle and if you have a loose air sack, you have to set that way, even for hatching.


So I'm really worried about my eggs. Last night when I candled I saw lots of healthy veins, but tonight when I pulled one or two out I couldn't see any veins at all Just a little blobbish thing that may be an embryo. I'm really worried I somehow killed them all since last night...

 

[just2rosey]

Did any thing go wrong last night? Temp spikes or anything? What could you have done to kill them? I am a candling fiend! I can assure you as obsessed as I am with candling, I have never killed my eggs that way.

I love looking at them at this stage and watching the embryo squirm.

When the chicks get a little bigger sometimes you can see a foot real clearly. It reminds me of having an ultrasound.

My hatch date is Sept 7th.

The first egg from my broody has pipped. My incubator was peeping at me. He should hatch by tomorrow sometime. I will check the eggs under the hen tomorrow and see if any others are ready yet. I can't wait to see the momma raising her babies.