Who's Hatching Ducks? Hatch With Us!! *Page 3*

[Calebs Acre]

What a nice big nest! I have no experience with broody ducks, so I am no help, but I am impressed with her skills!

So, it Runner Duck Egg Day 25 and we moved them to the hatching incubator JUST in time because one of them hatched tonight already!!! No photos because it is in an older Hovabator with the small windows and I have 22 other eggs in there and don't want to open the bator at such a sensitive time. But, this baby has wheels! It was peeping this morning, and pipped and in less than five hours, was out and moved to the other side of the bator already. Lots of energy, that one.

I waited DAYS for my dewlap toulouse eggs to hatch last year...I hope getting one to hatch so fast will help me be patient for the less anxious remaining eggs. But, we do have others pipped and peeping tonight. I'm going to try to avoid the stairs until tomorrow AM, if I can.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Mojo Chick'n :

I only have three incubators

but I have no doubt I'll need another one by next spring.

meri

You?? I plan on:
1) getting rid of 1 LG and buying another hova 1583 ( I LOVE that thing!)

and

2) buying or making a big cabinet bator, I can't have every hen setting on eggs! I don't have that many nests!

I have 5 broodies right now, and another hen with chicks. 2 of the broodies have 12 eggs each, and one of those decided to make her nest in the side of a camper trailer we have parked behind the house

Another broody has 8 or 9 eggs, I don't remember, just marked them

Another broody, my poor OEG Gretta, has been sitting for 6+ weeks, and I have been stealing her babies

She now has 10 golden lakenvelder eggs under her that only have 10 days left on them. I stole these from the bator, to make room for some other eggs I had ordered. So when these eggs hatch, I'll finally let her quit

Then the other broody has only 2 eggs for now, but I have some silkie eggs coming in a few days, and she will be getting those when they arrive. I have 2 nest 'buckets' empty, and the 'nest' in the wood furnace, and the 'nest' in the dresser drawer, but everyone likes to share

There are a few more hens that I know will go broody any time now, and I'm pretty sure they are sharing nests with some of the broodies

I need to be making me some more broody tractors, since the silkies are also laying again. After 5-6 eggs, plop! Down they go!

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I will be setting 18 call duck eggs tomorrow morning.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
I have a cayuga hen that better start setting before long, or I'm going to pen her up! She has been hiding her nest for 2 weeks, and I can't find it anywhere!

The size of the nest depends on the size of the bird. If she can cover all of them, then it's not too big.

Tossing some of the eggs is normal. It means that the eggs are no good most likely.

Have you not had a broody hen? I make my dad go and check my OEG hen's nest, I like to keep my skin, and she doesn't peck him for some reason

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

Well, I walked past the hatcher this afternoon and got a whiff of a gawdawful stink - so I had to pull two of the goose eggs (thankfully non-exploded) The others all look (and smell) good.

Hopefully they'll hatch for me - so nervous, never done geese before.

meri

 

[chickens4me]

My duck eggs are due to hatch this Saturday! I am so excited. Hope it all works. I stopped turning today & put a big soaked sponge in with them.....We'll See!

 

[danielnv]

I am resting a wet sponge over the vent directly above the fan to keep my humidity up. Good idea or am I blocking my ventilation?

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
If you only have one vent hole, you are probably blocking it

Try putting the sponge inside the bator and put a wet paper towel underneath it. Are you hatching or just incubating right now?

 

[danielnv]

I'm incubating ducks and hatching chickens. I'm using the LG. It has 2 vents, 1 right over the fan. Since I'm in the desert, the air going in is super dry, so this way my humidity is staying up really well. I just rewet the sponge 2-3 times a day, and don't have to open the bator to keep my humidity high. I am using the tube and syringe method to add to my water channel. The sponges I used inside before during hatch kept drying out, so I THINK this is the answer. The LG has other smaller vents besides the main 2, btw.

It's day 20, and I have 1 hatched plus 2 pipped that I can see.

 

[Calebs Acre]

With my one duckling that hatched yesterday and none having hatched overnight (today will be day 26), I am wondering if I should go ahead and remove the baby (and shell) from the hatching incubator and go ahead and move him to the brooder later tonight? There are lots of eggs in there and the new guys will need the room. I was thinking of just putting a stuffed animal in with the baby (in the brooder), but I would like advice from you experienced sages. He really wants to scoot around. He's a runner baby.