Thinking of incubating, NEED Advice please!

[neetabeamie]

I want to get some Ancona ducks.
They are about $20 a duckling ( I want about 10 ducklings do a little over $200 total( after shipping, PayPal fees and tax)
I have been toying with the idea of getting eggs and hatching them my self in an incubator. It would be about $40 per half dozen ( shipping included) However, I have allot if trepidation and know nothing about incubators.
I have also herd allot if horror stories.
Can you please tell me what you think?
What is the most important thing you can do to prevent death during the incubation and hatching?
What incubator should I get? I know that is important.

 

[Pork Pie]

I want to get some Ancona ducks.
They are about $20 a duckling ( I want about 10 ducklings do a little over $200 total( after shipping, PayPal fees and tax)
I have been toying with the idea of getting eggs and hatching them my self in an incubator. It would be about $40 per half dozen ( shipping included) However, I have allot if trepidation and know nothing about incubators.
I have also herd allot if horror stories.
Can you please tell me what you think?
What is the most important thing you can do to prevent death during the incubation and hatching?
What incubator should I get? I know that is important.

Shipping eggs can affect viability and that is something that neither the vendor, nor you have control over.
There's quite a few companies that make good incubators and if you opt for one that regulates temperature and humidity, the "horror stories" may not be as bad as you may think. For example, until a month ago, I had never used an incubator (Brinsea - good, but expensive) and did a trial run and all worked out fine. There are cheaper and equally effective alternatives to Brinsea so i guess its all down to budget and choice.

 

[Rod-T]

Incubating is a great experience. . It also takes some learning. . I'd practice with some cheap chicken eggs first..just sell or give away the chicks if you don't want them.. do that before I'd spend a bunch on expensive duck eggs...Far as incubator goes.. stay away from the cheap ones.. make sure it has a fan too.
If your handy building a incubator is best I think.. search threads here on how to do this..
If your not handy.. just get a good one..

 

[Pork Pie]

Incubating is a great experience. . It also takes some learning. . I'd practice with some cheap chicken eggs first..just sell or give away the chicks if you don't want them.. do that before I'd spend a bunch on expensive duck eggs...Far as incubator goes.. stay away from the cheap ones.. make sure it has a fan too.
If your handy building a incubator is best I think.. search threads here on how to do this..
If your not handy.. just get a good one..

Sound advice. I did a test run with just 4 eggs from my own flock just to see how things panned out.

 

[dekel18042]

I want to get some Ancona ducks.
They are about $20 a duckling ( I want about 10 ducklings do a little over $200 total( after shipping, PayPal fees and tax)
I have been toying with the idea of getting eggs and hatching them my self in an incubator. It would be about $40 per half dozen ( shipping included) However, I have allot if trepidation and know nothing about incubators.
I have also herd allot if horror stories.
Can you please tell me what you think?
What is the most important thing you can do to prevent death during the incubation and hatching?
What incubator should I get? I know that is important.

There are pros and cons to both hatching or buying. If you hatch I would go with a good incubator. Even if it is more expensive, it should make up the difference in price with both ease of use and perhaps an extra number hatched.
I have and swear by my brinsea and have close to a hundred per cent hatch rate with my own eggs.
But shipping may or may not cause havoc with the eggs. I have had one good hatch and several poor hatches with shipped eggs. In one case nothing developed at all (I'm suspicious there.), but my own test eggs, thrown in for the fun of it all hatched.
So if you hatch your own, you either need to get an incubator (or a good broody). The eggs may or may not hatch (50% is considered excellent for shipped eggs. Most have a lower hatching per centage.) and if sex is important to you, you have no control over the outcome. In addition to getting a low hatch rate you could get all of one sex, especially boys, while, depending where you buy them, you may be able to get sexed ducklings.
I've done both. Depends on the situation and what I want.

 

[neetabeamie]

There are pros and cons to both hatching or buying. If you hatch I would go with a good incubator. Even if it is more expensive, it should make up the difference in price with both ease of use and perhaps an extra number hatched.
I have and swear by my brinsea and have close to a hundred per cent hatch rate with my own eggs.
But shipping may or may not cause havoc with the eggs. I have had one good hatch and several poor hatches with shipped eggs. In one case nothing developed at all (I'm suspicious there.), but my own test eggs, thrown in for the fun of it all hatched.
So if you hatch your own, you either need to get an incubator (or a good broody). The eggs may or may not hatch (50% is considered excellent for shipped eggs. Most have a lower hatching per centage.) and if sex is important to you, you have no control over the outcome. In addition to getting a low hatch rate you could get all of one sex, especially boys, while, depending where you buy them, you may be able to get sexed ducklings.
I've done both. Depends on the situation and what I want.

Thank you, that helps a lot

 

[neetabeamie]

There are pros and cons to both hatching or buying. If you hatch I would go with a good incubator. Even if it is more expensive, it should make up the difference in price with both ease of use and perhaps an extra number hatched.
I have and swear by my brinsea and have close to a hundred per cent hatch rate with my own eggs.
But shipping may or may not cause havoc with the eggs. I have had one good hatch and several poor hatches with shipped eggs. In one case nothing developed at all (I'm suspicious there.), but my own test eggs, thrown in for the fun of it all hatched.
So if you hatch your own, you either need to get an incubator (or a good broody). The eggs may or may not hatch (50% is considered excellent for shipped eggs. Most have a lower hatching per centage.) and if sex is important to you, you have no control over the outcome. In addition to getting a low hatch rate you could get all of one sex, especially boys, while, depending where you buy them, you may be able to get sexed ducklings.
I've done both. Depends on the situation and what I want.

What model of Brinsea do you have?

 

[MeepBeep]

To be blunt, at $80 a dozen for shipped egg you are likley not to see much if any savings over the $200 for 10 guaranteed live chicks...

When I factor in shipped egg cost vs baby chicks, I immediately assume only a 50% hatch rate, sure you might get better but you also might get less or even zero hatches... Using my 50% hatch rate you would need to buy about 20 eggs to get your desired 10 birds... So basically 2 dozen at a cost of $160 using your $40/half dozen price... I have incubated a ton of my own eggs and locally sourced one and always get near 100% hatch rate once I remove the clears, but in my limited shipped egg experience, I'm probably running about 30% hatch rate, I have had a few zero hatch batches, and nothing over 70% hatch rate except for the ones I personally carried in my carry on luggage to bring them home...

I'm not trying to discourage you from buying an incubator, in the long run once you dial in your incubation technique and especially when using your own eggs or locally sourced ones you save a bundle... But shipped eggs come with so many variables outside your control even if you do a perfect incubation you can have horrible or no hatches...

 

[neetabeamie]

Thank you! I really aprechate all the feedback. It is helping out allot