Thread formerly known as Hatch day is today

[Goin Quackrrs]

Not bad. Trying to stay out of trouble. Took a short break and now firing the bator up again. Wasn't going to do it...

 

[Pyxis]

Hi guys, I started a thread about incubating eggs for the first time, but it doesn't seem to be getting much attention, so I thought I'd ask my questions over here because I heard lots of you hatch eggs too! So, like I said, this is my first incubation, and I'm using a homemade incubator and shipped eggs, so I really don't expect a stellar hatch. But I want to make sure my incubator is as good as possible so I can get as many ducklings out as I can.

Now, I have it holding pretty well at 99-100 degrees, with it averaging perfectly at 99.5. I hooked the light into an old reptile thermostat I had laying around. But while moving the thermometers around the incubator (I put two in to make sure they weren't off, and they seem to be within .1 degree of each other so that's good) I noticed that it gets a little hot in one corner - the hottest I have seen it get before the light clicks off is 101, but it usually stays around 100.4-100.7. Is this okay? Would I kill an egg were I to put it there?

Also, I'm having a nightmare of a time with humidity. Try as I might, I CANNOT get it above 70%. I even went so far as to set up a bubble pool like the ones you make in reptile habitats to keep the humidity high. In my hermit crab tank, this keeps my humidity at 85% easily. Not so in the incubator. So, short of trying really hard to somehow get more water surface area in there, is there anything I can do? I was thinking of just directly spraying the eggs a couple times a day if I can't get this sorted out. Would that work? I'm gonna get another hydrometer to check if it's just the reading being off.

In case it helps, my incubator is made from a Styrofoam cooler, with a computer fan to circulate air, a sixty watt light bulb hooked into thermostat to maintain temperature, a water tray on the bottom with river rocks on either side to hold the heat, all covered by hardware cloth, two thermometers, one that also measures humidity, and a nice little tube and funnel system that allows me to add water to the water trough without having to open the lid.

Also, any tips for hatching shipped eggs are appreciated!

Sorry for asking so many questions - I just want to do this right!

 

[Goin Quackrrs]

Look how they've grown!

Juvenile blue runner hen, juvenile trout runner drake, year-old hatchery silver runner:


Juvenile cayuga drake takes a bath. This one is a pool hog!


Toulouse girl.


Several of the year-old runners, blue runner drake in front:


These blue runner hens should be laying soon:


Saddleback gander, some of the year-olds:


Juvenile pekin drake, juvenile saxony pair:


Saddleback gander:


Group photo... pool party!


Peepers, my favorite of the year-old runners:


Some of the fawn & whites, with a penciled:


Tiny Pekin (my son's duck), year old swedish girl:


Trout hen, saxony drake:


Trout hen again:


Lucille, the prissy pekin:


Trout girl takes a bath:


Applyard drake, pekin drakes, saxony hen (juveniles):

 

[Goin Quackrrs]

Hi guys, I started a thread about incubating eggs for the first time, but it doesn't seem to be getting much attention, so I thought I'd ask my questions over here because I heard lots of you hatch eggs too! So, like I said, this is my first incubation, and I'm using a homemade incubator and shipped eggs, so I really don't expect a stellar hatch. But I want to make sure my incubator is as good as possible so I can get as many ducklings out as I can.
Now, I have it holding pretty well at 99-100 degrees, with it averaging perfectly at 99.5. I hooked the light into an old reptile thermostat I had laying around. But while moving the thermometers around the incubator (I put two in to make sure they weren't off, and they seem to be within .1 degree of each other so that's good) I noticed that it gets a little hot in one corner - the hottest I have seen it get before the light clicks off is 101, but it usually stays around 100.4-100.7. Is this okay? Would I kill an egg were I to put it there?
Also, I'm having a nightmare of a time with humidity. Try as I might, I CANNOT get it above 70%. I even went so far as to set up a bubble pool like the ones you make in reptile habitats to keep the humidity high. In my hermit crab tank, this keeps my humidity at 85% easily. Not so in the incubator. So, short of trying really hard to somehow get more water surface area in there, is there anything I can do? I was thinking of just directly spraying the eggs a couple times a day if I can't get this sorted out. Would that work? I'm gonna get another hydrometer to check if it's just the reading being off.
In case it helps, my incubator is made from a Styrofoam cooler, with a computer fan to circulate air, a sixty watt light bulb hooked into thermostat to maintain temperature, a water tray on the bottom with river rocks on either side to hold the heat, all covered by hardware cloth, two thermometers, one that also measures humidity, and a nice little tube and funnel system that allows me to add water to the water trough without having to open the lid.
Also, any tips for hatching shipped eggs are appreciated!
Sorry for asking so many questions - I just want to do this right!

As far as your hot spot, I would just rotate eggs into different spots in the bator when you go to turn them so that they all incubate evenly. I don't think it will kill an egg to have it a tad hot, but rotating eggs into that spot would compensate for any difference in speed of incubation.

For humidity, I have several home-built units. I've found that water surface area is important (the more surface area, the better). That said, I usually have to add a wet sponge to bring up the humidity a tad more for lockdown.

Make sure to let your shipped eggs rest 24-48 hours before putting them in the incubator, with the fat end up. This will allow the air cells to stabilize somewhat after shipping. Don't buy super-expensive eggs to test your unit with. Shipped eggs are hard to hatch as-is, best to get some fairly affordable ones in case something goes sideways the first time.

I mist my eggs if I open the incubator for something else, like candling or adding water. Some people mist their eggs on a regular schedule. If hand-turning, you can mist your eggs every time you turn.

All that said, I'm not an expert, this is just what works for me.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

GQ I still love the color on that silver runner. Your Toulouse looks just like an african or african cross though, black bill gives it away as does the neck stripe. What breed is the other goose? Very pretty neck and head on it.


Production Toulouse gander hatched this year, current picture first, young picture second




Africans

 

[Pyxis]

Thanks! How high should humidity be for me? I heard 80 - 85% but I just wanna make sure. I ordered some Welsh Harlequins from Metzer to test the bator with - kind of expensive but they're what I wanted...if I can get just one duck out I'll be happy. I know my hatch rate will probably be terrible. Can I let the eggs rest at room temperature, or am I going to have to try to find a cooler spot for them?

 

[Kevin565]

Not bad. Trying to stay out of trouble. Took a short break and now firing the bator up again. Wasn't going to do it...

Look how they've grown!

Juvenile blue runner hen, juvenile trout runner drake, year-old hatchery silver runner:


Juvenile cayuga drake takes a bath. This one is a pool hog!


Toulouse girl.


Several of the year-old runners, blue runner drake in front:


These blue runner hens should be laying soon:


Saddleback gander, some of the year-olds:


Juvenile pekin drake, juvenile saxony pair:


Saddleback gander:


Group photo... pool party!


Peepers, my favorite of the year-old runners:


Some of the fawn & whites, with a penciled:


Tiny Pekin (my son's duck), year old swedish girl:


Trout hen, saxony drake:


Trout hen again:


Lucille, the prissy pekin:


Trout girl takes a bath:


Applyard drake, pekin drakes, saxony hen (juveniles):

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

80% + for hatching, 40% or less for incubation

 

[Pyxis]

80% + for hatching, 40% or less for incubation

Woah! I read that it was 80% for incubation, and 95% for hatching. Glad I asked! Now I have to find a way to reduce my humidity...

 

[Pyxis]

Will poking a few holes in the cooler affect temperature? I think it would help get the humidity down. Plus, I can just plug the holes back up for lockdown.