Hi wulfandwyn, I'm doing good thankyou. Nice and hot and sunny in the UK at the moment! Making the most of it! Hows things where you are? Glad to hear you have your computer problems fixed! ttfn!
Thread formerly known as Hatch day is today
- Thread starter stillmecle
- Start date
- Mar 14, 2013
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Ducks and geese are peculiar. They've got quirks that don't show up in land fowl. I've had far better luck simply raising them to half grown or further in a brooder and then introducing them to a flock. Mamma duck just isn't that careful of the babies, IMHO.
Having a chicken raise ducklings does work, but it stresses the hen no end, at least if there is a pond nearby. The first time she goes for a drink and the ducklings try to swim, the poor hen will be in a horrible panic.
Having a chicken raise ducklings does work, but it stresses the hen no end, at least if there is a pond nearby. The first time she goes for a drink and the ducklings try to swim, the poor hen will be in a horrible panic.
Hi I think I'm having issues with my Muscovies internally pipping... Yesterday morning was day 21 and I noticed 1 egg of 4 start rocking. I candled it but didn't see the bill in the air sack yet. At this time I bumped up humidity to 60-80% and had temp at around 85.5. (I also have a 90 gallon fish tank in the same room as the incubator and I live 5 miles from the beach.) As the day progressed I candled 2 more times. I saw the duckiling keep trying to get into the air cell. Its bill was moving up and down underneath the membrane. (As far as I could tell) I also have not heard any peeping from it. Today I checked it again, and it seems to still be moving like it was yesterday, but not as vivacious. I have had issues from day 1 with incubating from high highs of 106 to low lows of 94! So these remaining eggs are lucky to have survived. At this poin I am thinking of interveing and poking the side of the air cell to make sure it can get out. Since its been over 24 hours of movement and no external (and probably no internal) I think this guy needs some help. Someone please give me some advice ASAP!!!
Muscovy ducks should take 35 days to hatch. Nothing should be trying to hatch at day 21.
Hi I meant today is day 32, and the temp is at 98.5, not 88. Sorry!! But still need advice!
I thought so, but had to ask.
I would just watch and wait. I don't like to intervene unless backwards or middle pipped. If they can't break the shell, they're probably too fragile to make it.
I've been through some strange scenarios with hatching and I've found that I'm better off if I stay hands-off.
- Apr 10, 2012
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How are the eggs doing?
Mine were crazy quiet this time around and ended up being a decent hatch.
If they haven't internally pipped, I don't know if there's much you can do to help besides keeping them nice and humid. I think a tiny hole into the air cell is common for call ducks, and still allows them to have a relatively normal hatch process, so probably safe to do that if you want to. I don't think that necessarily leads to other assistance the way that helping more than that might.
On the other hand, if the incubator was running cool, they may just be a little behind schedule.
Do you have just the 4 eggs? I'd probably tend to help sooner with so few than if I had a full incubator. Not advocating that - just saying that I'd have a harder time sitting on my hands like everyone always tells you to. I didn't help last year because of the warnings that there was probably something wrong with them, but decided this time that I'd rather face needing to cull a deformed duckling than wonder whether I could have done something but didn't. The two I helped are healthy and strong. The one I considered helping, but didn't want the toddler to witness and imitate... that one didn't make it. But, I haven't had to cull yet. Once that happens, I may change my tune.
Mine were crazy quiet this time around and ended up being a decent hatch.
If they haven't internally pipped, I don't know if there's much you can do to help besides keeping them nice and humid. I think a tiny hole into the air cell is common for call ducks, and still allows them to have a relatively normal hatch process, so probably safe to do that if you want to. I don't think that necessarily leads to other assistance the way that helping more than that might.
On the other hand, if the incubator was running cool, they may just be a little behind schedule.
Do you have just the 4 eggs? I'd probably tend to help sooner with so few than if I had a full incubator. Not advocating that - just saying that I'd have a harder time sitting on my hands like everyone always tells you to. I didn't help last year because of the warnings that there was probably something wrong with them, but decided this time that I'd rather face needing to cull a deformed duckling than wonder whether I could have done something but didn't. The two I helped are healthy and strong. The one I considered helping, but didn't want the toddler to witness and imitate... that one didn't make it. But, I haven't had to cull yet. Once that happens, I may change my tune.
Hi!
So by 12:30 last night I decided to go for it! I opened the air cell to find out that it never even internally pipped to begin with! Which is so weird b/c I saw it's bill. The membrane still had some veins in it. I tried to put a little hole to help it out, but it starred to bleed a bit. So I put him back in the incubator. 7:30 this morning I got up and moistened with warm water & q-tip. At 10 I did the same thing & ended up being an hour late to work b/c I didn't want to leave him/her! Hubby stayed home and made sure temp & humidity was just right. The baby is doing very well, but keeps licking the air! It's really cute. So I got a q-tip, took off most the cotton & dipped it in pedialyte. It drank several portions being served in that fashioned. It just took another nap and is slowly starting back at it again.
At the beginning of my incubation ad had 12 silkies, 12 Muscovies, & 3 French muscovy eggs. So I am definitely desperate to get these guys to hatch. I might have 1 French left, and 3 regulAr Muscovies. The silkies count is only 5 remaining! Tomorrow is day 21 for silkies) Wow I am so bad at this! Thanks for all your help. I will keep posting progress.
Just don't know how to post pics from my iphone.
So by 12:30 last night I decided to go for it! I opened the air cell to find out that it never even internally pipped to begin with! Which is so weird b/c I saw it's bill. The membrane still had some veins in it. I tried to put a little hole to help it out, but it starred to bleed a bit. So I put him back in the incubator. 7:30 this morning I got up and moistened with warm water & q-tip. At 10 I did the same thing & ended up being an hour late to work b/c I didn't want to leave him/her! Hubby stayed home and made sure temp & humidity was just right. The baby is doing very well, but keeps licking the air! It's really cute. So I got a q-tip, took off most the cotton & dipped it in pedialyte. It drank several portions being served in that fashioned. It just took another nap and is slowly starting back at it again.
At the beginning of my incubation ad had 12 silkies, 12 Muscovies, & 3 French muscovy eggs. So I am definitely desperate to get these guys to hatch. I might have 1 French left, and 3 regulAr Muscovies. The silkies count is only 5 remaining! Tomorrow is day 21 for silkies) Wow I am so bad at this! Thanks for all your help. I will keep posting progress.
Just don't know how to post pics from my iphone.
- Apr 10, 2012
- 364
- 159
- 236
Are all those eggs in one incubator? Getting involved in assisting can mean a lot of opening and closing the incubator. Make sure those other eggs aren't getting dried out.
When mine were hatching the ROOM humidity was about 75%, and hot, so opening the incubator was less of a big deal.
When mine were hatching the ROOM humidity was about 75%, and hot, so opening the incubator was less of a big deal.
Well I am using a 30 gallon aquarium that is currently on it's side. I found a weird article on how to make a incubator out of an aquarium. I have 3 lights in there, and a heat mat. I also opened the lid on my 95 gallon aquarium in the same room so it will increase my overall humidity in the air. Besides that I'm close to the beach so we have naturally more humid air. (Prob at 70%) None of the other eggs have externally pipped yet. Also the door of my incubator is a smaller opening panel in the front instead of the top, so the humidity still lingers around in there when the door opens.
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