Comments on: Duck Eggs Hatching Early And Late http://www.farmingfriends.com/duck-eggs-hatching-early-and-late/ Meet the animals and harvest the information without getting your hands dirty! Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:58:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.6 by: Allison http://www.farmingfriends.com/duck-eggs-hatching-early-and-late/#comment-15733 Sat, 01 Nov 2008 23:06:43 +0000 http://www.farmingfriends.com/duck-eggs-hatching-early-and-late/#comment-15733 Also, I can't see anything in the other two eggs that were supposed to hatch 2 weeks ago, because it is all black. Could they possibly still be alive? And I am incubating them in a homeade incubator and placing them in an egg carton to incubate. Which side are the eggs supposed to be on: their sides or their points? Also, I can’t see anything in the other two eggs that were supposed to hatch 2 weeks ago, because it is all black. Could they possibly still be alive? And I am incubating them in a homeade incubator and placing them in an egg carton to incubate. Which side are the eggs supposed to be on: their sides or their points?

]]> by: Allison http://www.farmingfriends.com/duck-eggs-hatching-early-and-late/#comment-15729 Sat, 01 Nov 2008 22:38:32 +0000 http://www.farmingfriends.com/duck-eggs-hatching-early-and-late/#comment-15729 I am incubating some eggs, and they were supposed to hatch 2 weeks ago. I have candled them and one is definately still alive because I can see it moving around. It is a very small egg. I don't think the duckling has pipped yet, because I can't hear any cheeping. I was wondering ehat I should do. Thanks! I am incubating some eggs, and they were supposed to hatch 2 weeks ago. I have candled them and one is definately still alive because I can see it moving around. It is a very small egg. I don’t think the duckling has pipped yet, because I can’t hear any cheeping. I was wondering ehat I should do. Thanks!

]]> by: Sara @ Farming Friends http://www.farmingfriends.com/duck-eggs-hatching-early-and-late/#comment-15135 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:15:13 +0000 http://www.farmingfriends.com/duck-eggs-hatching-early-and-late/#comment-15135 Hi Deb, Thanks for visiting farmingfriends and leaving your comment. I would keep an eye on your duckling that has pipped the shell. If after a couple of hours the duckling hasn't cut through the membrane then you may decide to break the membrane. I think that it is important to keep the humidity at the right levels and therfore spaying the eggs with warm water my help. When hatch is imminent it is important to try not to keep opening the incubator as this will affect the temperature and humidity levels and this could affect the success of the hatch. Keep a watch out for more eggs pipping and if once pipped, the ducklings are not hatching then you may need to help. I had to help 6 of the 7 khaki campbell ducklings I have and they are now over 20 weeks old and doing very well and all laying eggs of their own! If you decide to help then you need to work quickly to keep the egg warm. Peel the shell and membrane a little at a time making sure that you don't make the duckling bleed. I usually try to peel as much of the shell and membrane except for cup shape at the bottom of the shell as this is where the duckling will still be attached.I then put the duckling back into the incubator so that it can wriggle out of the remaining shell in it's own time. It is important not to leave membrane as this will dry onto the duckling and make it hard for the duckling to get out of the shell. I hope you find this information useful. I recently set up a free forum with a section on ducks that you may find useful. http://farmingfriends.com/forums/forum.php?id=5 Let me know how your ducklings get on and best f luck. Kind regards Sara @ farmingfriends Hi Deb,
Thanks for visiting farmingfriends and leaving your comment.
I would keep an eye on your duckling that has pipped the shell. If after a couple of hours the duckling hasn’t cut through the membrane then you may decide to break the membrane.
I think that it is important to keep the humidity at the right levels and therfore spaying the eggs with warm water my help.
When hatch is imminent it is important to try not to keep opening the incubator as this will affect the temperature and humidity levels and this could affect the success of the hatch.
Keep a watch out for more eggs pipping and if once pipped, the ducklings are not hatching then you may need to help. I had to help 6 of the 7 khaki campbell ducklings I have and they are now over 20 weeks old and doing very well and all laying eggs of their own!
If you decide to help then you need to work quickly to keep the egg warm. Peel the shell and membrane a little at a time making sure that you don’t make the duckling bleed. I usually try to peel as much of the shell and membrane except for cup shape at the bottom of the shell as this is where the duckling will still be attached.I then put the duckling back into the incubator so that it can wriggle out of the remaining shell in it’s own time. It is important not to leave membrane as this will dry onto the duckling and make it hard for the duckling to get out of the shell.
I hope you find this information useful.
I recently set up a free forum with a section on ducks that you may find useful. http://farmingfriends.com/forums/forum.php?id=5
Let me know how your ducklings get on and best f luck.
Kind regards
Sara @ farmingfriends

]]> by: Deb http://www.farmingfriends.com/duck-eggs-hatching-early-and-late/#comment-15127 Tue, 21 Oct 2008 15:32:00 +0000 http://www.farmingfriends.com/duck-eggs-hatching-early-and-late/#comment-15127 12 days ago we had our first duckling hatch. We are new to incubating and honestly, the duck eggs are our learning tools. This little duckling was a total surprise, we found him in the incubator and had no clue he was hatching. The next batch of eggs is due to hatch on the 25th, or so we thought. When I went in to turn the eggs just now, one of them had a piece of shell missing, though the membrane was not broken. The chip was on the large end. I could see movement behind the membrane and thought I could hear the faintest of sound of peeping. Will this little duckling die if the membrane does not break? Do I need to spray the eggs? Is this normal? What happens now? Any advice for a newbie to this? Thanks in advance to anyone who cares to help/advise me! 12 days ago we had our first duckling hatch. We are new to incubating and honestly, the duck eggs are our learning tools. This little duckling was a total surprise, we found him in the incubator and had no clue he was hatching.

The next batch of eggs is due to hatch on the 25th, or so we thought. When I went in to turn the eggs just now, one of them had a piece of shell missing, though the membrane was not broken. The chip was on the large end. I could see movement behind the membrane and thought I could hear the faintest of sound of peeping.

Will this little duckling die if the membrane does not break? Do I need to spray the eggs? Is this normal? What happens now? Any advice for a newbie to this?

Thanks in advance to anyone who cares to help/advise me!

]]> by: Sara @ Farming Friends http://www.farmingfriends.com/duck-eggs-hatching-early-and-late/#comment-14960 Sat, 18 Oct 2008 12:49:28 +0000 http://www.farmingfriends.com/duck-eggs-hatching-early-and-late/#comment-14960 Hi Elizabeth, Thank you for visiting farmingfriends and leaving this comment. I leave my ducklings in the incubator for about 24hours when they first start to hatch so that they are fluffy and dry when they are taken out. You can take them out before but they will survive in the incubator for up to 24 hours without food and water. I try not to open the incubator whilst the ducklings are hatching so as not to disturb anyothers that may not have started to hatch. As soon as the ducklings move from the incubator to the brooder they need water and food. I gave my ducklings waterfowl chickcrumbs and I gave them luke warm water in a drinker . Hope that helps. Let me know how your ducklings get on. What type of ducks are they? I have recently set up a forum which is free and has a section on ducks that you may find interesting. http://farmingfriends.com/forums/forum.php?id=5 Kind regards Sara @ farmingfriends Hi Elizabeth,
Thank you for visiting farmingfriends and leaving this comment.
I leave my ducklings in the incubator for about 24hours when they first start to hatch so that they are fluffy and dry when they are taken out. You can take them out before but they will survive in the incubator for up to 24 hours without food and water.
I try not to open the incubator whilst the ducklings are hatching so as not to disturb anyothers that may not have started to hatch.
As soon as the ducklings move from the incubator to the brooder they need water and food. I gave my ducklings waterfowl chickcrumbs and I gave them luke warm water in a drinker .
Hope that helps. Let me know how your ducklings get on.
What type of ducks are they?
I have recently set up a forum which is free and has a section on ducks that you may find interesting. http://farmingfriends.com/forums/forum.php?id=5
Kind regards
Sara @ farmingfriends

]]> by: Elizabeth http://www.farmingfriends.com/duck-eggs-hatching-early-and-late/#comment-14921 Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:34:51 +0000 http://www.farmingfriends.com/duck-eggs-hatching-early-and-late/#comment-14921 I need some guidance on my soon to hatch ducks. I am not sure how quickly I need to provide food and water for them. I also need to know how quickly or slowly I take them out of the incubator? I need some guidance on my soon to hatch ducks. I am not sure how quickly I need to provide food and water for them. I also need to know how quickly or slowly I take them out of the incubator?

]]> by: Sara @ Farming Friends http://www.farmingfriends.com/duck-eggs-hatching-early-and-late/#comment-12285 Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:59:27 +0000 http://www.farmingfriends.com/duck-eggs-hatching-early-and-late/#comment-12285 Hi DJ, I am sorry to say that I don't yet have any duck eggs as my ducks are only about 14 weeks old and they don't start laying until 20 weeks old so they may not lay not until next spring. You don't say where you are from. If you are from the UK then ebay is a good place to buy duck eggs for hatching. If you are in the US then the McMurray Hatchery http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/category/hatching_eggs.html may have some. Sorry I couldn't be of more help. Kind regards Sara @ farmingfriends Hi DJ,
I am sorry to say that I don’t yet have any duck eggs as my ducks are only about 14 weeks old and they don’t start laying until 20 weeks old so they may not lay not until next spring.
You don’t say where you are from. If you are from the UK then ebay is a good place to buy duck eggs for hatching. If you are in the US then the McMurray Hatchery http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/category/hatching_eggs.html may have some.
Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.
Kind regards
Sara @ farmingfriends

]]> by: Dj http://www.farmingfriends.com/duck-eggs-hatching-early-and-late/#comment-12272 Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:26:45 +0000 http://www.farmingfriends.com/duck-eggs-hatching-early-and-late/#comment-12272 do you guys have any duckling eggs thata are not hatched? i have school project to raise eggs from eggs till there adults! do you guys have any duckling eggs thata are not hatched? i have school project to raise eggs from eggs till there adults!

]]> by: Sara @ Farming Friends http://www.farmingfriends.com/duck-eggs-hatching-early-and-late/#comment-12093 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:31:48 +0000 http://www.farmingfriends.com/duck-eggs-hatching-early-and-late/#comment-12093 Hi Tracey, Thanks for visiting farmingfriends and commenting. It is quite normal for the egg not to have started to pip yet as the hatching process can take a few days. You need to be watching out for the eggs pipping and listening out for little cheeps too as this is a sign that the egg is pipping and the duckling is hatching. It is good that the egg has not hatched early. I will keep my fingers crossed for you. I never help the chicks/ducklings out of their shell if they have not pipped but if a chick has pipped the egg shell and has not progressed any further after a number of hours then I will help the chick/duckling out. If you do need to help the duckling out then you have to work fast and you also have to be careful that they don’t bleed which is not easy when you are trying to keep them warm as well. I know that when I help the ducklings hatch it is best to try to remove as much of the inner membrane as possible so that when the egg & duckling are placed back in the incubator the membrane does not dry onto the duckling making it even more difficult for the duckling to hatch. I have also found that the best thing is to try to remove as much of the egg shell except around the bottom and then remove as much of the membrane until there is just a cup shaped shell left where the duckling will still be attached. I try to make sure that the head and legs are out of the shell making it easier for the duckling to get out of the remaining egg when it is placed back in the incubator. I too have read that you should not help a chick or duckling but if I had not helped my ducklings then out of the 7 that hatched only one would be dashing around my garden and dabbling in the water. Good luck with your egg. Let me know how the egg gets on. I have 7 khaki campbell ducks and they are a real delight. It is amazing how quickly they grow and how they can swim from day 1!. Check out this post of my ducks now http://www.farmingfriends.com/khaki-campbell-ducks/ and check out the day old ducklings having a swim in a bucket http://www.farmingfriends.com/day-old-ducklings-enjoying-a-swim/. My husbands uncle breeds ducks on a large scale and he says that if any of the ducklings are not looking very well or lively then putting them in a bucket of water and letting them have a swim can often revive them. Amazing! Let me know how you get on. Kind regards Sara @ farmingfriends Hi Tracey,
Thanks for visiting farmingfriends and commenting.
It is quite normal for the egg not to have started to pip yet as the hatching process can take a few days. You need to be watching out for the eggs pipping and listening out for little cheeps too as this is a sign that the egg is pipping and the duckling is hatching. It is good that the egg has not hatched early.
I will keep my fingers crossed for you.

I never help the chicks/ducklings out of their shell if they have not pipped but if a chick has pipped the egg shell and has not progressed any further after a number of hours then I will help the chick/duckling out.

If you do need to help the duckling out then you have to work fast and you also have to be careful that they don’t bleed which is not easy when you are trying to keep them warm as well. I know that when I help the ducklings hatch it is best to try to remove as much of the inner membrane as possible so that when the egg & duckling are placed back in the incubator the membrane does not dry onto the duckling making it even more difficult for the duckling to hatch. I have also found that the best thing is to try to remove as much of the egg shell except around the bottom and then remove as much of the membrane until there is just a cup shaped shell left where the duckling will still be attached. I try to make sure that the head and legs are out of the shell making it easier for the duckling to get out of the remaining egg when it is placed back in the incubator.
I too have read that you should not help a chick or duckling but if I had not helped my ducklings then out of the 7 that hatched only one would be dashing around my garden and dabbling in the water.

Good luck with your egg. Let me know how the egg gets on.

I have 7 khaki campbell ducks and they are a real delight. It is amazing how quickly they grow and how they can swim from
day 1!. Check out this post of my ducks now
http://www.farmingfriends.com/khaki-campbell-ducks/ and check out the day old ducklings having a swim in a bucket http://www.farmingfriends.com/day-old-ducklings-enjoying-a-swim/.
My husbands uncle breeds ducks on a large scale and he says that if any of the ducklings are not looking very well or lively then putting them
in a bucket of water and letting them have a swim can often revive them.
Amazing!
Let me know how you get on.
Kind regards
Sara @ farmingfriends

]]> by: Sara @ Farming Friends http://www.farmingfriends.com/duck-eggs-hatching-early-and-late/#comment-12091 Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:02:04 +0000 http://www.farmingfriends.com/duck-eggs-hatching-early-and-late/#comment-12091 Hi Sue, Thanks for visiting farmingfriends and leaving this very interesting question. My initial thought is that it is just down to luck but I am sure that there will be some genetic reason why you are getting more drakes from your eggs than ducks if the eggs are indeed from your flock. Are you having to wait for the ducklings to grow before you realise that they are drakes? What type of ducks are they? I will do some research into this and see if I can find anything about this very interesting subject. I am sorry that I don't have a firm answer for you. Kind regards Sara @ farmingfriends Hi Sue,
Thanks for visiting farmingfriends and leaving this very interesting question.
My initial thought is that it is just down to luck but I am sure that there will be some genetic reason why you are getting more drakes from your eggs than ducks if the eggs are indeed from your flock.
Are you having to wait for the ducklings to grow before you realise that they are drakes? What type of ducks are they?
I will do some research into this and see if I can find anything about this very interesting subject.
I am sorry that I don’t have a firm answer for you.
Kind regards
Sara @ farmingfriends

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