[Helenaj]

Hi folks

I've put my very first batch of duck eggs in my incubator last night - Black East Indies. I've read that it's best to spray them with warm water and leave the lid off the incubator for 15 minutes once a day for best hatching results. Anyone had any experience of this and what would they recommend?

Cheers!

Helena

[Mum2mj]

Hi the idea of this is to encourage the eggs to lose moisture for the air sac to grow.  I did do this towards the end as the air sacs didn't look large enough. It seemed to help but it might have been okay anyway. I got a 100% hatch rate even after various issues I had. Good luck was lots of fun and they're very cute, but my god do they stink can't wait for the weather to warm up so I can put them outside permanently! 

[Helenaj]

Hi the idea of this is to encourage the eggs to lose moisture for the air sac to grow.  I did do this towards the end as the air sacs didn't look large enough. It seemed to help but it might have been okay anyway. I got a 100% hatch rate even after various issues I had. Good luck was lots of fun and they're very cute, but my god do they stink can't wait for the weather to warm up so I can put them outside permanently! 

I've had ducklings that are a couple of days old and still under heat and you are right -they absolutely stank the house out! These are my first duck hatchlings although I've hatched chicks many times. I have one egg that has started to sweat, so suspect that it is a dud. I'll give it another day or so and candle at 5 days and if there's no sign of anything in that one I'll bin it.

i am so excited!

[Mum2mj]

Fingers crossed for a good hatch  I just can't wait to find out my duck:drake ratio!

[Helenaj]

Candled the eggs - all six are fertile 

Brilliant news considering I ordered them by post!

[New shoot]

Great news   

[Helenaj]

Three have hatched two days early and took us completely by surprise

Two left to go, no movement yet, but it's early days.

I'm not excited in the least 

[New shoot]

 

Any news yet on the others?

[Helenaj]

Any news yet on the others?

nothing at all _ don't think they will hatch. the other rocked every time you whistled at them but there's no movement in these ones. I'll leave it until tomorrow and then open the eggs - yuck.

[New shoot]

Rather you than me with that job, but if you have hatched 4 out of 6, that's not a bad result 

[Sassy]

I would be tempted to give them a bit longer it is not unknown for there to be a few days discrepancy in hatching 

[Mum2mj]

I had 2 hatch the day after hatch day, then 2 more the day after, then the last 2 the day after that and then they  both pipped the wrong end (but successfully hatched). Unless they smell I'd say leave them

[Helenaj]

I've left them in the incubator for now and fingers crossed but I don't think they will come to much. On the plus side - I've just visited the Spring Festival at the Royal Welsh Showground and picked up a Muscovy duck and 11 ducklings. Mum, 11 ducklings and my own three ducklings are now all snuggled down in their coop! Mum Muscovy was a handful placing ducklings in there - she pecked me to death but snuggled the little ones in straight away. Her ducklings are a day younger than mine, so they are all about the same size at the moment! 

[New shoot]

So your 3 have a mummy duck now and you have 14 ducklings to spend the next few weeks watching grow up 

Its great when a plan comes together 

 

[Debz]

Photo's please.  Who doesn't love fluffy ducklings pics!