Where did you order/get your runners from?

[eggybritches]

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You'll love your babies when they hatch. I'm hatching my second batch of eggs from her right now (they're due Jan. 7th). The last batch all but one hatched. The one was full term but didn't get turned around in the shell.

I don't know what I keep my humidity at... That's probably a horrible thing to say, but I have a brinsea mini and I just keep the one water reserve full at all times. I would read what your incubator recommends. Good luck! I can't wait to see pictures of the babies.

Here's what my clan from Andrea's looked like:

Minus my fawn and white that hatched five days later (I put him in the incubator late). I got a white and blue, a chocolate, two blues, and a black.

 

[newchickmom09]

I love all the pics! Now I am going to have to look into incubators.

 

[riqui1]

Steve: Wow - 50-55%? I really thought that it was going to be higher than that. I have it at about 60% right now, so I guess that I am doing okay. Today is just day 1, so I still have time to adjust a bit. I had originally told my 9yo son that we wouldn't be putting the eggs in the incubator until February, in order to limit the time that they were in the house, but I was really jonesing to get something in the incubator (yes...I am learning the "disease" part of this, it seems) and he has been begging for more ducks ever since our Mallards flew off this fall. I figured that getting them started was a good present for him. Besides, every other animal we have here has a heat source, including our pig (we are soooo sad! lol), so I am sure that my husband will have something built into their area to help them stay warm until the weather breaks. lol

Eggy: Those ducklings are adorable. Thank you for sharing that. I have to keep showing the 9yo every picture that I find of runners, so I will be sure to keep that one open, since it is so cute!

 

[AHappychick]

brooding ducklings in the winter is a royal pain. Did it last year and never again! lol

But to make it easier use a water nipple and a soft wire as a floor (I have a rubberized welded wire that works well and does not hurt their feet.

I found runner eggs much more durable than other eggs even in cold weather I hatch them at the ame levels of humidity as my chicken eggs and have a good hatch.

Steve your Runners are georgeous!!!

 

[Barred Rockstar]

Regarding humidity, I'm about to start some runner eggs and I live in a coastal area with very high humidity (anywhere from 70-90% this time of year) Do I still need to add water to my incubator (hova-bator 1588) or would that be over kill? I just got the incubator so this will be my first try.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

We got our runners from andreaseggs off ebay too and they are WONDERFUL ducks. They aren't as upright (SQ) as they should be, but we're happy with them. The colors are beautiful. They are quite the characters and excellent egg layers. We also have some SQ pencilled runners that we bought locally. We'll be selling eggs and ducklings in the spring.

We highly recommend andreaseggs and had a great hatch. She's also very helpful and knowledgeable.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

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!!

Duck eggs are tricky, especially for a first try. Get your incubator going several days in advance and make sure that your temp and humidity levels are stable. They'll fluctuate for the first few days. Incubate ducks at 99.5-100 degrees and 58-60% humidity for the first 25 days. After that stop turning (I hatch in cardboard egg cartons) and boost your humidity to 65-75%. Our air is very dry here now but I have ducklings hatching tonight at 65%. If you can get it higher than that, all the better but I wouldn't go more than 75%. Good luck!!!

 

[riqui1]

AHappychick: A water nipple? Is this for them to drink from? Is this something similar to a nipple for a bottle? I am sorry if I sound a bit behind, but all I have used are the water dishes.

 

[pardygwyn]

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Interesting! So I assume you put them airsac-up? Does this help prevent little backwards-hatching duckies or is it just to help keep them from drowning once they puncture the airsac?

I did all of my hatching in a Hovabator from the 1970s that leaked heat and humidity like a sieve. I think its inefficiency actually improved my hatch rates because I've never had much luck with the newer Hovabators I've tried. Reading threads in this forum, it looks like it's because I got used to making it more humid than it should be. :B

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

I hatch all my eggs in egg cartons - quail, chickens, ducks, peafowl - and have had good results. I feel it helps them from drowning (lost a few that way laying down and getting rolled over). Yes - you put them big end up, little end down. I set them this way in the turning racks and then just move them to the hatcher in the same position. Everybody's opinions vary, but this is what works for me.