Thread formerly known as Hatch day is today

[qwackers]

I would have thought it would be ok

 

[ducklover87]

I'm having a hard time getting any eggs to hatch in my bator. It seems they all die right before lockdown. I set 8 eggs this time and am down to 2. Lockdown is today and when I candled them Mon night all was good Tuesday night one stopped moving and then wed night the other stopped moving. Do they always stop moving before lockdown? I can't see into the eggs a lot but I can see around the top edges and haven't seen any movement there. Last night when I candled no movement so I'm not sure what's happening. I'm still gonna go through lockdown and keep them a few days after just to be sure but I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. This is my 3rd attempt at hatching eggs.

 

[Amykins]

After three times of losing all your eggs, there's definitely something wrong. What temp and humidity do you incubate at, and what kind of bator are you using? Also, if you are opening the bator after lockdown that could be damaging the eggs. :/

 

[hokankai]

My little ducky has been dubbed Jasper . I'm working on getting him acclimated to the brooder and the Ecoglow seems to be helping. I have to keep showing him the water after he eats because he shakes his head from the gunky food. He has a hand mirror as a faux buddy for now, until the rest hatch next week.

The food I bought is only 18% protein so I will pick up chick starter today. However since this food has niacin in it can I do a 50/50 so that I don't have to supplement with niacin? If not I'll just get some and add it to his water.

Oh and one more question, several of the eggs in the incubator look like they are from young ducks and are quite a bit smaller. Should I expect those guys to hatch early?

 

[ducklover87]

After three times of losing all your eggs, there's definitely something wrong. What temp and humidity do you incubate at, and what kind of bator are you using? Also, if you are opening the bator after lockdown that could be damaging the eggs. :/

I dry hatch. My bator is at 99.5 and stays around 30% for humidity. Sometimes a bit higher and every once in awhile a Lil lower but if it gets lower than 30% I add a Lil bit of water to it. I'm using a farms innovator circulated air incubator. I never open the bator during lockdown. My eggs always seem to die before lockdown anyway. I've had problems with the fan since I got it but that never affects the eggs.

 

[qwackers]

So gorgeous! Sorry not sure about the eggs.

 

[Amykins]

I dry hatch. My bator is at 99.5 and stays around 30% for humidity. Sometimes a bit higher and every once in awhile a Lil lower but if it gets lower than 30% I add a Lil bit of water to it. I'm using a farms innovator circulated air incubator. I never open the bator during lockdown. My eggs always seem to die before lockdown anyway. I've had problems with the fan since I got it but that never affects the eggs.

Is this still-air or forced air? If still the temp should be closer to 100.5. I'm also not sure if ducks are able to do dry incubation, mine never went below 40%.

Also, where do you get your eggs? Are they all from the same source? Sometimes the age and health of the parents can affect the eggs' viability. It sounds as if they're just not strong enough to break through the air cell membrane and just give up.

 

[qwackers]

Mine never go under 50% humidity. Maybe that's the problem.

 

[ducklover87]

Is this still-air or forced air? If still the temp should be closer to 100.5. I'm also not sure if ducks are able to do dry incubation, mine never went below 40%. 

Also, where do you get your eggs? Are they all from the same source? Sometimes the age and health of the parents can affect the eggs' viability. It sounds as if they're just not strong enough to break through the air cell membrane and just give up.

Forced air I think. It has a fan if that helps. I've heard of ducks doing dry incubation and having great success. If the humidity was wrong I would think they would die well before day 20ish. I get mine from my own ducks. I don't do anything with the eggs anyway and wanted to give it a try and see if I can get a few more girls. They are all from one of my ducks the other one lays small eggs so I figure its not a good idea to try to hatch from them.

 

[qwackers]

Hmm true about them dying before day 20. In which case I'm not sure. I don't know anything about dry hatches. I'm sure someone on here does.