Setting eggs week of 10/1

[Pyxis]

I've gathered three eggs from my girls so far - the slowdown is striking over here - and I should be setting within the next few days. I want eggs from two specific girls but of course they're the ones not laying for me

 

[Nathanya]

Ok that kind of stinks well atleast you will have some eggs to set by the end of the week

 

[Pyxis]

I'm just really hoping I can get at least one or two eggs from my girl Pumpkin before I set. She was my first hen - she moved over and lived with my two pet drakes after nearly starving to death in my neighbor's flock - my neighbors have a million birds and don't feed any of them...

She's the bird that got me into chickens and she's at least three now. She's also developed a weird cyst on her keel that is getting huge and I feel her time is coming soon. I just really want a chick or two from her so that when the time comes I at least have a small piece of her left. Even with her age and her odd cyst she's still top hen and even bosses the roosters around. She has such a personality.

 

[Nathanya]

Ya that would be nice to keep a part of that hen in your flock. I am sorry to hear about her not doing so well and keep me updated if you get any eggs for her and hatch some chicks. I really like seain when people post any sort of pictures of their chicks or coop:

 

[Pyxis]

Lol, how about a duckling? I hatched her last Thursday. She's on my arm right now

 

[novanod1966]

hey all, in reply to the 70% humidity at lockdown, i had to throw about 6 -8 sebright eggs away because of too high humidity. i ran 70+%. the eggs were well developed (feathers and everything) some even internally pipped then died before breaking thru the shell. this time i'm gonna try 60-65% during lockdown (will try the lower side of that).

i have mille fleur d'uccle eggs (about 16 or so), then i have about 22 or so call duck eggs.... these two i would really like to hatch so i'm very nervous about this. they are staggered, some mille fleur hatch the 11th, then some call ducks, then mille fleu, then call ducks finishing up with some more mille fleur.

this will be the 1st time with ducks and i've heard call ducks are even harder than regular ducks.

all you duck experts .... i sure would like to hear about the settings of your duck eggs and any tips you could give would be appreciated.

thanks,

don

 

[Pyxis]

Well, duck eggs need it more humid than chicken eggs. Since their moms get off the nest, go swimming, and come back and sit on the eggs with their bellies all wet, they evolved to tolerate and even somewhat need a higher humidity. Most duck people do it at 40-55% during incubation. When I was incubating them together with chicken eggs, I did 50% to try to make them both happy and it worked out well. Also, a lockdown humidity of between 70-80% for ducks is recommended, with 75% being ideal. I locked my duck eggs down out 72%, and well, the proof that it worked is right up there ^

But, I've only done one duck hatch so I'm far from an expert. This is just what I learned from asking around in the duck forum and getting input from those who hatched literally hundreds of eggs. With this advice, I had an 87% hatch rate, which I think is phenomenal from eggs shipped to me all the way from California.

 

[Nathanya]

Nice picture of your duck Pyxis haha

 

[3forfree]

I''m setting 24 @ noon today. 18 are going into a homemade cooler bater, and 6 will go into a LG that I'm using for the first time. Both are going to be used dry until lockdown. Eggs are a mix so I don't know what the results will be. Good Luck to all.

change of plans. eggs were set 18 in barn in cooler bator and 6 in LG in house. Went to barn this morning and temps was 105+ don't know how long it was that temp, but I gathered up the cartons the eggs were in and brought them into the house and put them in the LG with the others. That's the second time using a hot water heater thermostat that I've had trouble, I used it in my last hatch and it quit working and everything cooled off, I still had some hatch but I had to go to a back up that I had running with a water bed thermostat. I'm going to set up the water bed thermostat in a styrofoam cooler just in case the lg takes a crap.

 

[Nathanya]

Ya that is not good that the temp was 105+ do you think that it ruined the chance of hatching those eggs?