We (DuramaxGirl & DoubleTake) are starting up the Bators! First Hatch This Year! Starting 1/18/2012!

[Duramaxgirl]

Oh probably eggs. I'm still working on talking DH into ducks. I know I'll want muscovys when or if I'm allowed to get ducks.
I need to get Storys Guide to Raising Ducks. So I know what type of coop to build. So far what I'm reading is that ducks are really messy. But the kids really want some.
The blue eyes sound soooo pretty! I want them more for pets then anything. I think if we get ducks DH will really like them...

 

[Dingo]

Ducks are fun, I had a pair of rouens for 7 years. Rouens are notoriously bad brooders but my duck hatched out and raised 2 broods. When I had them I didn't know of any sqft rules, so I didn't follow any. Thier early coops were small, maybe 3'x3'x2'H, they did fine with small coops, and I think it worked better during the colder months. Their last couple of years with me they had a 5'x4'x4'H coop with a small porch, they loved the porch but didn't go inside as much as they did witht he smaller ones.
They are incredible messy, water will be spilled, and anythign they can pick up will be added to their water.

 

[tristancolli]

Ol' Hovabator 1853 set 24 back yard haritage mutts lol not sur what they all are having problems with the humidity right now and temp at nights cause it still drops alot in room temp at night even with heater doesnt help. I set tuesday night so bye most peoples rules im only on day 2 :'( next 19 days are going to be the longest......

 

[Dingo]

Ol' Hovabator 1853 set 24 back yard haritage mutts lol not sur what they all are having problems with the humidity right now and temp at nights cause it still drops alot in room temp at night even with heater doesnt help. I set tuesday night so bye most peoples rules im only on day 2 :'( next 19 days are going to be the longest......

I'm also getting temp drops at night, I found covering the whole thing with a small blanket helps.

 

[idahodebra]

Muscovies aren't that messy. They need water, obviously, but they are content to give themselves more of a sponge bath than a full-on dunk bath. They don't seem to have the drive to fling themselves into any body of water around them. For housing, mine get some luxury insulated dog houses from Walmart. They run about $60 for the really big ones. Coincidentally, the goats love these as well. They are plenty roomy enough for my nigies and their offspring. Jumping on them is also a fun past-time for goats, lol. It's a multipurpose shelter/playground! I am all about the housing that is portable, easy to clean, and fits on a Subaru. Anyways, the ducks like them, too. Easy to clean whens out for them, as well. Muscovies can fly, but seem to prefer to be close to the steady food/water source. Occasionally, one overshoots and lands outside the fence, then wanders back and forth by the fence until I notice it is out and retrieve the fishnet. Their fence, by the way, is portable electric poultry net. I love that stuff, except when it shocks me. Then it becomes the @#$%ing electric poultry net.

Ok, that's a long-winded version of saying that they are really easy and your husband would hardly even notice they were there. No, really. They quack like they have laryngitis. Your husband probably wouldn't notice them at all. You could tell him that they are just big ugly chickens with foot problems

I'll keep you in mind when I start to get eggs again. We should have a North Idaho egg and chicken swap! I really want some BLRW....

 

[idahodebra]

Ducks are fun, I had a pair of rouens for 7 years. Rouens are notoriously bad brooders but my duck hatched out and raised 2 broods. When I had them I didn't know of any sqft rules, so I didn't follow any. Thier early coops were small, maybe 3'x3'x2'H, they did fine with small coops, and I think it worked better during the colder months. Their last couple of years with me they had a 5'x4'x4'H coop with a small porch, they loved the porch but didn't go inside as much as they did witht he smaller ones.
They are incredible messy, water will be spilled, and anythign they can pick up will be added to their water.

They sound like the Khaki Campbells that I had. MESSY! For comparison, today I sat about 4 feet from 3 Muscovies taking a bath. It is 20 degrees out, and my coop isn't insulated. I'm crazy, right? Anyways, these 3 big ducks all got clean, and not a single drop of water landed on me. I didn't even see any splash out of the bowl. I'm pretty sure the silkies make more mess with water than the ducks, lol. For whatever reason, the silkies feel it's necessary to dunk their whole heads when getting a drink. Oh, well, I don't have silkies because they're smart...lol

 

[idahodebra]

Ol' Hovabator 1853 set 24 back yard haritage mutts lol not sur what they all are having problems with the humidity right now and temp at nights cause it still drops alot in room temp at night even with heater doesnt help. I set tuesday night so bye most peoples rules im only on day 2 :'( next 19 days are going to be the longest......

Is the 1853 a styro-bator? I'd try a blanket and moving it to a different room. I dry hatch, so I don't worry about humidity this early on.

 

[DoubleTake]

Quote:

Ol' Hovabator 1853 set 24 back yard haritage mutts lol not sur what they all are having problems with the humidity right now and temp at nights cause it still drops alot in room temp at night even with heater doesnt help. I set tuesday night so bye most peoples rules im only on day 2 :'( next 19 days are going to be the longest......

Hang in there! We are with you on the LONG 19 days!!

 

[Stacykins]

Sweet did you take any pics of the candling?? Leghorn eggs are awesome to candle as well!! Congrats on the lil baby!

No, but I will try tonight. My camera has an absolutely stellar macro mode for being just a point and shoot as long as my hands stay steady! Last night I saw every single egg of the 12 duck eggs with strong development (at five days in) and tiny beating hearts!

 

[tristancolli]

So set on the 17th so today is day 2 and due to unstabale temps i have moved my incubator to a better room. Do you guys think it will hurt if the bator runs between 99.2 and 100.0????? most of the time it is 99.5 or .7 but sometimes goes as low as .2 ot as high as 100.0.....