Taking ducklings out of the incubator?

[willowbirdks]

Here's my original thread, if you want some reading while you wait lol

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/957576/no-power-for-24-hours

OK, it's crazy that your little guys made it through that power loss... Maybe it proves my husband's theory that it's not such a precise science as we all might hope, though I'm not going to tell him. ;-) All your hatchlings growing big and strong now?

And I also hope you never have to do another eggtopsy, though you have inspired me to try the same if some of ours don't end up hatching... Because we had shadows and air cells and things going very well before lockdown. Anyway thanks for the encouragement and sharing your experience.

 

[willowbirdks]

This is a really good question.. I had two Godzillas in my incubator last night too. I did take mine out and put them in a brooder. I don't know if that was the right thing to do or not. I have some pipped eggs and some not. Haven't had any more full hatches as of yet, but they are still trying.
I had a kid raise the lid, I grabbed babies and kid replace lid. I hope I did right! Maybe a veteran hatcher could let us both know!

How are yours tonight? Anybody else hatch during the day?

 

[Bsranch3]

How are yours tonight? Anybody else hatch during the day?

I had two more hatch yesterday!!! Sorry was a long day and I had went to bed. One of my little ones from yesterday had a little problem but he seems to be doing well this morning

 

[WVduckchick]

I've been gone all weekend. How is everybody doing now??

By the way willow, my little 4some is fabulous! We had a road trip this weekend, temporary housing and a temporary pool. They did fine, got to meet my roosters, which didn't bother them at all! but they seemed happy to get home! They are feathering out so pretty, and all the yellow is turning white. I think I'm gonna have some beautiful babies. Rained all day so I need to take new pics soon.

 

[Bsranch3]

I've been gone all weekend. How is everybody doing now??

By the way willow, my little 4some is fabulous! We had a road trip this weekend, temporary housing and a temporary pool. They did fine, got to meet my roosters, which didn't bother them at all! but they seemed happy to get home! They are feathering out so pretty, and all the yellow is turning white. I think I'm gonna have some beautiful babies. Rained all day so I need to take new pics soon.

Awesome! Glad yours are doing well! My four are doing well also, even the baby that had the outtie! I ended up buying two Muscovy babies and introduced them. The new babes actually were picking on the muscovys! I was worried about it being the other way around. No more eggies have hatched
:-/ I think I hear peeping but no external pipping so I don't know

 

[willowbirdks]

I've been gone all weekend. How is everybody doing now??

By the way willow, my little 4some is fabulous! We had a road trip this weekend, temporary housing and a temporary pool. They did fine, got to meet my roosters, which didn't bother them at all! but they seemed happy to get home! They are feathering out so pretty, and all the yellow is turning white. I think I'm gonna have some beautiful babies. Rained all day so I need to take new pics soon.

Oh, they must be getting so big! Glad to hear the early introductions to the other birds went well.

We are doing well. Our total for the weekend is 12 hatched, 3 with external pips, and 4 with nothing. I guess we will just let this go on until nothing has happened for 24 hours... Every time we think they are done somebody else pips and we get 2-3 more. Not sure why it's been such a long time span but almost every duckling seems healthy. Just one runt. Might pull him and a buddy out tomorrow into a separate brooder for feeding to see if that helps.

Hope your weekend trip was fun!

 

[willowbirdks]

Awesome! Glad yours are doing well! My four are doing well also, even the baby that had the outtie! I ended up buying two Muscovy babies and introduced them. The new babes actually were picking on the muscovys! I was worried about it being the other way around. No more eggies have hatched
:-/ I think I hear peeping but no external pipping so I don't know

Ours seem to keep going and going. We started hatching on Friday night and just had two more tonight. (And several in between - we're up to 12/19!) If you hear peeping, maybe you should let them go? I don't really know, of course, but if they are alive then that seems hopeful. I also saw an article here on BYC about checking for viability if it's been several days past with no external pip. This was in the assisted hatching guide...

What breed are the ducks you hatched yourself?

 

[willowbirdks]

I had two more hatch yesterday!!! Sorry was a long day and I had went to bed. One of my little ones from yesterday had a little problem but he seems to be doing well this morning

We have a runt. Is that what was going on with yours? Our little guy seems to have failure to thrive, though he is hanging in there...

 

[Bsranch3]

We have a runt. Is that what was going on with yours? Our little guy seems to have failure to thrive, though he is hanging in there...

He didn't fully absorb his yolk.. He talks to me and he looks ok, just has a yucky belly button. He's a bit smaller but so was his egg. He looks the most like a mallard so far

 

[Bsranch3]

Ours seem to keep going and going. We started hatching on Friday night and just had two more tonight. (And several in between - we're up to 12/19!) If you hear peeping, maybe you should let them go? I don't really know, of course, but if they are alive then that seems hopeful. I also saw an article here on BYC about checking for viability if it's been several days past with no external pip. This was in the assisted hatching guide...

What breed are the ducks you hatched yourself?

I would have to say mutts
My boys are 1 large Peking and one white call
For girls I have 5 khaki, 1 Swedish, 3 mallard, and 1 white call
My male mallard flew the coop, but some of these could be his