What are you currently incubating/brooding?

[RichmondHens]

4 out of 4 exchequers hatched. They are truly stunning. Must try and get some pics to show you.

[Hilary B]

I bet its something to do with humidity? Duck eggs need high humidity don't they?

Yeah, duck eggs need high humidity, anf turkeys quite emphatically DON'T (or so it seemed the few times I had them sharing an incubator).

[polo]

Ok, so I have a broody sitting well now. Going to move her into a seperate pen as soon as its set up and see how she sits then give her some light sussex eggs to hatch. How exciting!!

Thanks for all the advice so far - will get photos asap. I feel a real novice compared to you all hatching allsorts but since its our first time I'm allowed to be excited I think!!

[petal]

Go for it- good choice with light sussex- we have a lovely, albeit elderly light sussex hen who still lays reliably-and has a lovely temperament.

[jessmorris]

teehee, I have a randon selection of dark brahma, silver dorking, cream legbar, white hamburg, white pekin and welsummer bantam that are going under Biek the silkie hybrid tomorrow.

[its hilly]

That'll be Gold brahma Jess..I 'fessed up on the chat thread. I think I may be getting some call duck eggs from m-i-l for the inci but I've never hatched duck eggs before. Not to keep just to return.(unless I get some of the mandarins, then I would keep a couple)
What temp/humidity do they need? And are they difficult? Do you brood them the same as chicks? They would go under a proper heat lamp.

[petal]

Hi, same set up for ducks- a broody hen can hatch them but they tend to require a higher humidity than hen eggs. They need a heat lamp for a shorter duration than chicks and are positively the messiest, smelliest but most endearing things ever! So whatever you brood them in must be easy to clean, did i say daily?......

[Hilary B]

Ducks are slower to hatch than chooks, and you have 2 choices in floor-type in the brooder, smooth (then they tend to slide all over the place) or textured (then you have a smelly brooder, because it won't come fully clean). They are, however, quite criminally cute at that stage.
If you have the means to launder daily, and plenty of spares, a tea-towel on the base of the brooder, change it EVERY day, wiping the floor underneath as thoroughly as you can, rinse loose mess off the cloth and BOIL wash it. By the time they don't need that any more, the cloths will not be fit to use (unless you want to save them for a repeat).

[jessmorris]

These hatched last Wednesday.....

[jessmorris]

And these hatched 18 days ago.

[petal]

I think I am in the process of having a disastrous duck hatch this year- only 4 ducks (campbells) out of 30 eggs- all mostly call ducks- opened one- gone bad(poooo) not fertile like I thought when candled earlier...Praying for the muscovies to go broody so they can raise some duckies- they are tricky,these duckies, it has to be said!!

[RichmondHens]

JM they are lovely, well done.

Bad luck Petal. Hope you get a good hatch soon.

[jessmorris]

Thankyou RH. There are a few more under the pekin....that hatch was 5 out of 5 and much better birdies than the first hatch..Still, they all seem fine now.

Bad luck Petal, its horrid when it goes wrong....

PS has anyone noticed my disastrous carrots from last year? I think thats a pound coin!

[petal]

I have never grown a successful carrot in my life!!

[polo]

I've grown two!! Successful carrots that is. And stubbornly trying again this year at the 'lottie. daft or what.