Bee, congratulations on your success so far! It seems like nest #4 has been your most successful. What did you do in this nest that was so different from the others?
And Bee, don't be discouraged by the quitters, even if it was something you did(and I don't know if that's true or not, I'm just saying that if it was something you did, don't be discouraged or beat yourself up). I killed I don't even know how many because of my ignorance. I don't know exactly when my two ducks(the two sharing a nest) started laying, but when I first counted(I'm guessing after like two and a half weeks or three weeks), they had 21. Today, they have 11, with three possible external pips.
Well, I hope anyway... But I didn't see any with internal pips, so I have no idea. They could just be cracks. But the eggs I candled(all of them) showed life and movement and just... Definitely looked different from the dead eggs that I found.
Anyways, keep us all updated on the progress!
Everyone has had problems this year with fertility, egg viability and fecundity due to the extreme cold we had in late winter/early spring and so I think I was experiencing the same thing....I had gathered eggs from that time period when all the embryos were dying from the cold weather before we could even get them into the house from the nests and, also, the roosters were just not able to fertilize for the same reason.
I think egg viability was a huge part of it and also the learning curve~definitely the case in the first few nests. The third nest I was confused as to humidity, especially near the end. This nest had more viable eggs, the temps were maintained carefully, humidity was added at the beginning of the set and then no more...broodies don't add humidity and each chick humidifies the next, and so on. I made the soil deeper, then layered leaves and then hay....no deep litter or composting materials in the base of the nest and this might have had bearing on maintaining temps as well. More mass makes for a steadier, more radiant heat at the center of the nest.
Pete had me turning X 3 a day instead of 2 or 4 times due to better fluid wash over the surface of the egg with the odd number of turnings, so that helped, I'm sure. Actually, Pete's advice about the humidity was utilized in this nest as well, and also a hand's off policy during hatching, so he really added some good solutions to this nest. Kudos go out to my good friend, Pete!
I experienced a huge loss of 8 active chicks on the 18th day and I have no idea how or why....unless I had sustained temp spikes in the night or something, I can't imagine what could have happened. I don't think I had a spike because the temps have been very stable and manageable in this nest.
Haha! That's really admirable of you. Anyone who fosters is so awesome to me, because I don't know if I could do it. I would just get too attached, and I'd end up taking all the children under my wing. (Pun not intended.)
I've always wanted to foster also and I think that is possibly one of the most compassionate things a person can do in this world today...to rescue a child. Everyone talks about rescue dogs but hardly anyone realizes how many kids need a good, stable foster home.....how much better it would be if all those kind, compassionate people out there rescuing dogs could rescue children as well. It could literally save a life.
Thanks, Pete, for your additins to the thread. I'm so happy that this was successful. I wonder how this will take off? What will it be called? Broody Incubator? Nest Simulating? Hen-wannabe-ing? I'm really excited to watch this develop. I can't wait to try it with my ducks. Just gotta be when I can be home, and that won't be for a while. =/
