~*Third Annual Cinco de Mayo Turkey Hatch-Athon*~ all poultry welcome!

[HappyAcresKY]

Ducks can take days between pip and zip. They are very frustrating. It is best to sit on your hands and let them do their thing. If you do not and help them, you can have a, literally, bloody mess.

8 WH out as of this morning, I can see a couple more working on it, it's hard to see with those fluff balls in there knocking everything around. Now my question is, will them playing soccer with the eggs mess up the rest? Should I take out the ducklings? Don't want to hurt the hatch humidity so I have not opened the incubator

 

[lsmith]

I have been deliberately experimenting with this cross & think they are adorable. If you breed them together you should have the silkie feathers reappear in 25% of the next generation. Breed the silkied ones together again & you should get silkies with huge "afros."

Hehe Afros

 

[Arielle]

I hatched 10 of 14 duck eggs that went into lockdown. They hatched on day 26. The eggs were Rouen and Mallard cross. That is a 71% hatch rate on the first try.

Thank God that is over. However, I have 5 more that are due in four more days.

I should take lessons from you!!

 

[HappyAcresKY]

13/13 welsh harlequins hatched, woohoo! but only 1 of the 6 anconas (shipped) hatched one of the anconas pipped the wrong end and zero internal pips in the others, is that typical in shipped eggs? They were fully developed and moving on lockdown. I did have to help the last 4 WH out of the shells. For those of you that hatch with eggs loose and laying on their side, any pointers to reduce the amount of kicking that goes on? This is our first year not hatching them upright in holders

 

[Penny Hen]

13/13 welsh harlequins hatched, woohoo! but only 1 of the 6 anconas (shipped) hatched

one of the anconas pipped the wrong end and zero internal pips in the others, is that typical in shipped eggs? They were fully developed and moving on lockdown. I did have to help the last 4 WH out of the shells. For those of you that hatch with eggs loose and laying on their side, any pointers to reduce the amount of kicking that goes on? This is our first year not hatching them upright in holders

You could use the hard foam inserts that apples are shipped with. They lightly cup the eggs and prevent mad rolling. Got a friend at the grocery store? It also serves as a nice liner to keep your incubator/hatcher clean. They can be removed afterward and cleaned and used again.

 

[winteree]

13/13 welsh harlequins hatched, woohoo! but only 1 of the 6 anconas (shipped) hatched

one of the anconas pipped the wrong end and zero internal pips in the others, is that typical in shipped eggs? They were fully developed and moving on lockdown. I did have to help the last 4 WH out of the shells. For those of you that hatch with eggs loose and laying on their side, any pointers to reduce the amount of kicking that goes on? This is our first year not hatching them upright in holders

i heard ducks need like 97F and 80% humidity to hatch properly I'm also hatching some shipped anconas and they are all developing well so i hope something hatches they aren't due till the first week of next month. ill be tearing up my finger nails untill then.

 

[winteree]

Not sill at all. I would be sputtering too. MOstly I meet folks at the grocery store, or DUnkin DOnuts. I've had good luck with folks at the end of the driveway-- but then my drive is 1500 feet from my stock. IF we go to shows, we drop clothes and shower. Though nothing is fool proof with wild birds, and hay coming in with chicken feathers . . . .

THe state makes periodic, annual, visits and I finally asked that they boot up before entering the farm. THey flatly refused!! I shutter at all the farms their vehicles and boots have tread in the days or hours before my farm.

I had one bad boy-- started at 3 weeeks old. By 2 years old and after much pleading from my kids to keep him, I fianlly said "enough". It was sad and we missed him for all of about 2 weeks. Still on the lookout for the attack rooster, then finally we could relax, and didn't need to cary sticks anymore. Fun thing though-- I have 3 sons from him-- they are all peachy keen boys and still let us pick them up and pet them.

I'm lousy at hatching ducks-- I have 9 eggs in the incubator long past due to prove it!! I gave 40 eggs to the 3 broodies and hope they do a better job than I do ( theyusually do!!) lol

Search out posts by Yinepu on the subject. SHe is rather busy right now and not on BYC-- but perhaps some of her old posts will be helpful.

hum go figure

 

[winteree]

I'm going to trying to hatch out 6 ancona duck egg's but lock-down is a ways away and not til the 3rd of June i hope everything goes well

 

[SilkieSensation]

13/13 welsh harlequins hatched, woohoo! but only 1 of the 6 anconas (shipped) hatched one of the anconas pipped the wrong end and zero internal pips in the others, is that typical in shipped eggs? They were fully developed and moving on lockdown. I did have to help the last 4 WH out of the shells. For those of you that hatch with eggs loose and laying on their side, any pointers to reduce the amount of kicking that goes on? This is our first year not hatching them upright in holders

I know those annies were mine so will tell you what I have found when hatching them. Incubate with humidity as low as possible & hatch with hummmmmidity high enough to just barely fog the edge of the window. They have really thick shells & I have trouble getting them to lose enough water. They end up too fat & breech or very sticky & can't get out once they pip.

 

[HappyAcresKY]

I know those annies were mine so will tell you what I have found when hatching them. Incubate with humidity as low as possible & hatch with hummmmmidity high enough to just barely fog the edge of the window. They have really thick shells & I have trouble getting them to lose enough water. They end up too fat & breech or very sticky & can't get out once they pip.

I only added water when I first set the eggs & it was dry after the first week. I opened all the ones that didn't hatch, there was no internal pip on 4 (does that mean they were most likely breech?) one pipped at the wrong end and never progressed, looked like it bled too. I didn't open the incubator until this morning, I saw the first pip on Friday, I'm kicking myself now for not checking on them sooner, I know they were going strong on Thursday & Friday, we could see them rocking.
The little ancona is really cute! We used to have harlequin Great Danes and it reminds me of them. It is definitely our 4 yr old's favorite, he asked to hold it tonight & sang it to sleep in less then 5 min, I have a feeling it might get spoiled.

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