Thread formerly known as Hatch day is today

[qwackers]

 

[Nebraskagirl]

That song is amazing hahaaa!
Woke up to find egg 3 had popped out and as we were watching and cheering it on egg 4 popped out! Egg 5 is working on it. Phew day 31 and we still aren't done!
The guy I got the eggs from said they were Indian runners but I'm jot sure, though I've not seen babies in real life but don't look how I expected other than the yellow one. Il put some pics up later and you can diagnose!

YES!!!!!!! Great news!!!!!!!! How are they doing?

 

[Nebraskagirl]

I'm so thrilled to finally hatch an African! It's such a sweet baby and sounds so different from the Poms I've been hatching!

I don't know if I shared here, but even with my electrical issue and having the cabinet go down to 77, I candled and only had to throw out 6 out of 120! My only bator issues now are needing more bators... and in a week, I'll be crying that I need more eggies.
I usually take a baby from the previous batch if I have one and put it next to the bator window. All the eggs seem to respond to hearing another of their kind. Otherwise, I sing a stupid song to mine:

Baby ducks,
Baby ducks,
Quack, quack, quack, quack,
Baby ducks.

Baby ducks,
Fuzzy butts,
Quack,quack,quack, quack,
Baby ducks.

If I really have baby fever, I'll sing it in french, even though I'm not sure my french is correct:

Petits canards,
Petits canards,
Coin, coin, coin, coin,
Petits canards...

There, I finally admitted it. I sing goofy songs to my eggs in lockdown.

That is awesome! I love it! Did you make that up? It is really cool.

 

[qwackers]

YES!!!!!!! Great news!!!!!!!! How are they doing?

So far so good, fingers crossed for the last one. I'm still amazed that egg 3 made it. Silly thing was butt first!

How are Thelma and Louise today!?

 

[angiert]

ok, incubator started up.... therm. and hydrometer purchased and working....eggs on the way...brooder halfway set up, anything else?? can i put down a hand towel over the wire or not a good idea? trying my hand at this but after reading all this im terrified... gonna be a mess for the next 28 or so days! and of all the kinds to start with i picked calls!

 

[Nebraskagirl]

So far so good, fingers crossed for the last one. I'm still amazed that egg 3 made it. Silly thing was butt first!

How are Thelma and Louise today!?

They are naughty and full of energy I just can't get anything accomplished because I must "check on the babies" and before I know it, an hour goes by!

Thelma came out butt first too! Those breech babies are something else How is your last egg doing? Do you know sexes on yours or are you able to tell yet?

 

[Nebraskagirl]

ok, incubator started up.... therm. and hydrometer purchased and working....eggs on the way...brooder halfway set up, anything else?? can i put down a hand towel over the wire or not a good idea? trying my hand at this but after reading all this im terrified... gonna be a mess for the next 28 or so days! and of all the kinds to start with i picked calls!

We just hatched our first eggs ever and I had no idea what I was doing. It turned out great. Just relax and try to over-think things. I am not sure about the towel, my incubator is TINY (only holds three eggs and it turned itself every hour) but others have more experience on here so they can help out. Good luck!!!!!! And WELCOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[qwackers]

They are naughty and full of energy I just can't get anything accomplished because I must "check on the babies" and before I know it, an hour goes by!

Thelma came out butt first too! Those breech babies are something else How is your last egg doing? Do you know sexes on yours or are you able to tell yet?

Aw cute! Yeh when I was at work it hatched with a little help. It got most of the way out and then just lied there for a while as it was so tired. It bled abit apparently which was worrying and there's still a red veiny looking thing dried into the cord. At least I think that's the cord! It's very weak but again just hope it needs to rest.
You were so lucky with your girls, they sounded easy! Did you have to help at all?
Still no idea about sex of them maybe will try later. Surely one of them will have something pop out at me, at least then I'll know I'm doing it right! I've watched the metzer vid on sexing so hope I got it right!
Oh I think they are runners as the older ones are starting to stand up abit straighter now, phew. Shame I didn't get a black female though. Really wanted to try and cross breed it with my male Cayuga. But am happy I'll have a white one. Wonder what colour the others will be. Looks like no 4 and 5 will be black and white. I'll take a more fluffed out pic of them all in a bit.

 

[qwackers]

ok, incubator started up.... therm. and hydrometer purchased and working....eggs on the way...brooder halfway set up, anything else?? can i put down a hand towel over the wire or not a good idea? trying my hand at this but after reading all this im terrified... gonna be a mess for the next 28 or so days! and of all the kinds to start with i picked calls!

Sorry to terrify you! I was too after reading things on here, but I have learnt so much from talking to everyone on here (thankyou ). I don't see why you couldn't put a towel on it. Though I guess the wire helps the sir to circulate round. But if you but it on the wire I'm sure it would still get warm underneath it. Anywho I used a home made incubator from eBay and the eggs just sat on a slighly padded out floor of a styrofoam box. So really the towel would just act as more of an insulator which would be a good thing I think.
Sorry that was very long winded!
what eggs will you be incubating?
Hope it helped a little!? Sounds like you're good to go! Yup be prepared for the ride of your life!

 

[Nebraskagirl]

Aw cute! Yeh when I was at work it hatched with a little help. It got most of the way out and then just lied there for a while as it was so tired. It bled abit apparently which was worrying and there's still a red veiny looking thing dried into the cord. At least I think that's the cord! It's very weak but again just hope it needs to rest.
You were so lucky with your girls, they sounded easy! Did you have to help at all?
Still no idea about sex of them maybe will try later. Surely one of them will have something pop out at me, at least then I'll know I'm doing it right! I've watched the metzer vid on sexing so hope I got it right!
Oh I think they are runners as the older ones are starting to stand up abit straighter now, phew. Shame I didn't get a black female though. Really wanted to try and cross breed it with my male Cayuga. But am happy I'll have a white one. Wonder what colour the others will be. Looks like no 4 and 5 will be black and white. I'll take a more fluffed out pic of them all in a bit.

I didn't have to help them, but I wanted to SO BADLY! When Thelma was hatched, my husband reached in and removed the shell, but we didn't have to assist. That is interesting on vent sexing. I will have to watch that video on Metzer because I am curious. Runners are adorable! Our local feed store had some chocolate runner ducklings for sale recently. Cute little things. Glad to hear the rest of yours are doing ok. Hopefully your little weak baby is getting stronger.