Thread formerly known as Hatch day is today

[HanLills777]

60's thats high, I had mine 50ish most of the time then 70 - 80 in lockdown. If It gets closer to lock down and its still not any bigger then take out the water for a bit and will make the egg evaporate quicker. But keep an eye on it.

Thanks my incubator is a king suro so the water pumps in automatically but could always lower it for a bit

 

[Goin Quackrrs]

Thanks for replying going quackers, if I lock them down on Friday night and hatch day is weds, that will mean about five days lockdown instead of three, this is better? Last year I locked down on day 25 for definate and only one hatched itself, one was stuck in the egg and died and I assisted the other 6. I won't be in over the weekend to monitor the humidity, was going to set it at 75%

I would worry more about what would happen if they decided to pip while the humidity isn't up yet. Lockdown on day 23 has worked well for me, but there are a lot of variables in hatching.

You could always candle and watch for internal pips on Friday and then go with your gut feeling. If the air cells haven't dropped enough, then I'd consider waiting.

I like my humidity between 75-80%, but you've got to go with what works best for you.

Why do you lockdown early on all but the first hatch btw?

My birds like to come early. If I try to wait until day 25, I'll end up with pippers in the turner... and once, hatchlings surfing on the turner. I set really fresh eggs, so I think that's a factor.

The first hatch is different, because the temps tend to run lower for the whole incubation cycle. Once I have heat lamps going in my hatch room, it changes the dynamic a bit.

 

[Pyxis]

Hey all, I caught one of my welsh harlequins making a nest. Scraping out a depression, placing leaves and pine needles just so, and then she laid a nice big egg in it. Is making a nest necessarily a sign of going broody? I haven't really had a broody breed before, and my pekins just dropped them without bothering to make a nest, which is what these girls have been doing up until now.

 

[hokankai]

Sounds like she's getting ready to lay her clutch and brood

 

[HanLills777]

I would worry more about what would happen if they decided to pip while the humidity isn't up yet. Lockdown on day 23 has worked well for me, but there are a lot of variables in hatching.

You could always candle and watch for internal pips on Friday and then go with your gut feeling. If the air cells haven't dropped enough, then I'd consider waiting.

I like my humidity between 75-80%, but you've got to go with what works best for you.
My birds like to come early. If I try to wait until day 25, I'll end up with pippers in the turner... and once, hatchlings surfing on the turner. I set really fresh eggs, so I think that's a factor.

The first hatch is different, because the temps tend to run lower for the whole incubation cycle. Once I have heat lamps going in my hatch room, it changes the dynamic a bit.

I would worry more about what would happen if they decided to pip while the humidity isn't up yet. Lockdown on day 23 has worked well for me, but there are a lot of variables in hatching.

You could always candle and watch for internal pips on Friday and then go with your gut feeling. If the air cells haven't dropped enough, then I'd consider waiting.

I like my humidity between 75-80%, but you've got to go with what works best for you.
My birds like to come early. If I try to wait until day 25, I'll end up with pippers in the turner... and once, hatchlings surfing on the turner. I set really fresh eggs, so I think that's a factor.

The first hatch is different, because the temps tend to run lower for the whole incubation cycle. Once I have heat lamps going in my hatch room, it changes the dynamic a bit.

Thank you, I think I'll candle on Friday, that's good advice

 

[Harleysflock]

my duck layed 14 eggs. a critter came and ate 7 of them this morning. I have no clue how to incubate!! mama duck abandoned the 7 remaining eggs and now they are in a box with a heat lamp. Please help. I have not a clue what I am doing!

 

[Amiga]

I don't know much, but from what I have read here, some sort of light moisture would be a good idea. Is there a 4H or ag club anywhere around you? Wildlife rehabilitator who could advise you?

 

[HanLills777]

there were two eggs today that were going grey on the shells and when my TA went to look she smelt a very strong smell (I'm bunged up with cold so could only faintly smell it) candelled and there's nothing, but will they have affected the others at all? I resisted candling on Monday and Tuesday because of my cold otherwise I'd have caught them sooner but couldn't risk not candling today (I washed my hands thoroughly and did it quickly to avoid passing anything on) of the 14 left after the smelly ones were taken out 12 still had movements but again airsacs are small, two had no movement and I candlled for a while to double check and have removed these for fear of them getting grey and smelly too, does it sound like bacteria?

 

[qwackers]

my duck layed 14 eggs. a critter came and ate 7 of them this morning. I have no clue how to incubate!! mama duck abandoned the 7 remaining eggs and now they are in a box with a heat lamp. Please help. I have not a clue what I am doing!

Yeah you need to create an incubator if possible, do you have a plastic cool box? apparently these are pretty good for incubators. Im just trying to think what you may have at hand to use. If you do then try and get a light nearby to give out some heat, if its not hot enough normally. The recommended temp for incubation is 37.5'C think thats like 99.5 or something and you need some moisture in there, humidity needs to be around 50% but again you may naturally have this where you live. If you go to a pet store and just grab a cheap reptile thermometer and humidity gauge that should do you. How long had she been sitting on the eggs? You need to mimick what she would have done which is turning them. They need to be turned at least 3 times a day up until day 25 when they go into lockdown which artifically is where the humidity gets bumped right up to encourage them to hatch and also the not turning the eggs allows them to get into position. And i assume in nature mummy duck would sit there for a few days straight not moving until they hatch. When you turn them, imagine them horizontally and they need to be turned from left end to right, then next time right over to left end etc etc. If they dont keep warm they will die, that's the most important thing, but you dont want to cook them either!

Hope that helps a little! Good luck!

 

[qwackers]

there were two eggs today that were going grey on the shells and when my TA went to look she smelt a very strong smell (I'm bunged up with cold so could only faintly smell it) candelled and there's nothing, but will they have affected the others at all? I resisted candling on Monday and Tuesday because of my cold otherwise I'd have caught them sooner but couldn't risk not candling today (I washed my hands thoroughly and did it quickly to avoid passing anything on) of the 14 left after the smelly ones were taken out 12 still had movements but again airsacs are small, two had no movement and I candlled for a while to double check and have removed these for fear of them getting grey and smelly too, does it sound like bacteria?

Hmm im not sure, but it could well be a bacteria thing. If the eggs werent clean enough in the first place it could have caused it, the conditions of the incubator i guess are perfect for nasty germs to grow if its not super clean in there. Sorry you lost some but glad the others are ok.