~Shipped Duck Egg 'Hatch-a-long' Due Aug 21, 2013 CANDLING PICS~

[Griffin Nest]

Hi everyone ! I built a new incubator and just purchased a batch of 7 mixed ducks eggs online and they are arriving in the mail soon! So excited!

This is the new incubator I made. I was actually working on a complicated fan incubator with thermostat, but it didn't work properly so I went all basic!!









Usually, I get all fancy with mesh and water setup, but this time I just used a tall cup. to raise the humidity, I put a towel on the edge so the water creeps up the towel and allows it to evaporate. Also, I added heat sinks (water bottles) so the temperature steadies. Usually, I also have an egg turning setup, but I just didn't have the time and figured hand-turning 3 times a day will do. Don't underestimate this setup though!

The temperature hasn't moved from 100 degrees since yesterday. The window is double-paned so not must heat is lost.




Im expecting the eggs to arrive at my house on Wednesday, so the hatch date will be around August 22. Here's my hatch calender!

 

[Griffin Nest]

YAY MY EGGS CAME!!

7 eggs!!!

I will post pics but I have bad news for now

They all have roaming air cells. Do I still have a chance???

 

[Griffin Nest]

I think it will be cool to post a candling picture of them every day until day 25 to show their development what do you guys think?

 

[Griffin Nest]

I put the egg with the roaming air cell in a carton standing up with the fat end up. I dont think it will make it though

 

[Griffin Nest]

I was doing the candling everyday challenge and I noticed that in 5 of the 7 eggs, there is a tiny floating dot darker than the rest of the yolk. It doesn't look anything like an embryo with a heart and veins yet because its only day 2, but I see something!!

 

[Griffin Nest]

~Day 7~
The embryos are slightly bigger and are starting to move around by themselves!



Also, egg #4 looks to me like its a little late. It looks like its on day 4 while everyone else is on day 7! I set them all at the same time so I don't know why this would be happening.

 

[Griffin Nest]

~UPDATE!! Day 7~

3 of the ducks are strong and healthy and they are a week old!! They LOVE getting water EVERYWHERE and making me clean their brooder twice a day

Also, if you noticed I had a 4th egg. It's not dead!! During incubation I noticed this egg looked less developed than everyone else, and I concluded that it was probably a muscovy egg which takes 35 days to hatch. I put it in a small incubator just for him and waited the extra week.













Yes its a Chickbator, I know

But I did some extreme makeovers to it to make sure it doesn't kill everything that goes in it. I attached it to a dimmer for heat control, and I placed it inside a stryofoam cooler for better insulation. I also put 2 water bottles in to keep the temperature more stable. It's been working pretty well! I've heard a LOT of stories about muscovies being the hardest thing to hatch. (People getting 2/35 hatch rates!!!) So I'm REALLY hoping this one comes out.

 

[Griffin Nest]

Day 35!! Egg #4 is finally coming!! Saw a pip yesterday!

 

[Griffin Nest]

Hello people coming from Tumblr, Youtube, or deviantArt!!!

 

[Griffin Nest]

My parents were trying to convince me to leave the incubator unplugged overnight when the eggs get here.