HeritageFan
Songster
- Sep 21, 2022
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- 1,120
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We have a hovabator 1588 with a HumidiKit and the vertical / rocking style auto turner.
We have heritage breed turkeys and Welsh Harlequin ducks. We plan to keep a handful of WH but focus more on the turkeys moving forward. We are not thinking that a cabinet ‘bator is the best choice until we get our processes honed...
We are considering adding a HovaBator 2370 as a “lockdown” Hatcher, so we can stagger hatches about a week apart while we try to feel out the local market and try to figure out whether fertile eggs or poults/ ducklings are more desirable.
My question is -
- since we already have the vertical turner, should I keep using it, and be better about marking the “sides” of my eggs so I can rotate them in the turner when I candle (I usually check them about every 5 days)
- it is cheaper to buy the horizontal turner w the 2370 than it is to buy it separately, have your/ how have your hatch rates improved w the horizontal turners?
I know that there are other ‘bators that people recommend. But our eggs are large and I don’t want to downsize. I just want to do the best that I can to improve hatch rates. And I’m a little concerned after candling today (day 10) with 4 of my duck eggs developing like this (see pix)
Pix are of the same two duck eggs from two angles each, sorry I believe they are not in order - and I wasn’t holding the light to show the air sac- those are developing properly. It is the way the rest of the development is looking / where the veining is/ is not is where my concern lies.
I’ve not weighed them this round.
Temp is steady at 100*f, humidity is steady at ~48, both confirmed by external thermometers/ hygrometers. Higher humidity = insufficient growth in the air sac- we are in the PNW so ambient humidity is apparently a consideration despite what the hygrometers read (when I tried a run at a higher humidity, the air sacs did not shrink. And I did weigh that batch, purchased from a friend... they did not lose more than a gram or two in a week and, most were infertile from the start but none lost weight or gained air :/)
Turkey eggs are so hard to see through
but I can at least see veins in most of them...
Any thoughts based on experience are so very welcome
We have heritage breed turkeys and Welsh Harlequin ducks. We plan to keep a handful of WH but focus more on the turkeys moving forward. We are not thinking that a cabinet ‘bator is the best choice until we get our processes honed...
We are considering adding a HovaBator 2370 as a “lockdown” Hatcher, so we can stagger hatches about a week apart while we try to feel out the local market and try to figure out whether fertile eggs or poults/ ducklings are more desirable.
My question is -
- since we already have the vertical turner, should I keep using it, and be better about marking the “sides” of my eggs so I can rotate them in the turner when I candle (I usually check them about every 5 days)
- it is cheaper to buy the horizontal turner w the 2370 than it is to buy it separately, have your/ how have your hatch rates improved w the horizontal turners?
I know that there are other ‘bators that people recommend. But our eggs are large and I don’t want to downsize. I just want to do the best that I can to improve hatch rates. And I’m a little concerned after candling today (day 10) with 4 of my duck eggs developing like this (see pix)
Pix are of the same two duck eggs from two angles each, sorry I believe they are not in order - and I wasn’t holding the light to show the air sac- those are developing properly. It is the way the rest of the development is looking / where the veining is/ is not is where my concern lies.
I’ve not weighed them this round.
Temp is steady at 100*f, humidity is steady at ~48, both confirmed by external thermometers/ hygrometers. Higher humidity = insufficient growth in the air sac- we are in the PNW so ambient humidity is apparently a consideration despite what the hygrometers read (when I tried a run at a higher humidity, the air sacs did not shrink. And I did weigh that batch, purchased from a friend... they did not lose more than a gram or two in a week and, most were infertile from the start but none lost weight or gained air :/)
Turkey eggs are so hard to see through
but I can at least see veins in most of them...Any thoughts based on experience are so very welcome
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