Re: muscovy duck -RIP


"diddy" <diddy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:Xns96C8A825BF0BCdanny@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> in thread news:Omelet-C6CE34.15123105092005@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:
> OmManiPadmeOmelet <Omelet@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> whittled the following words:
>
>> In article <Xns96C8A1CB1CCF0danny@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
>> diddy <diddy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>> I just checked him, as I hadn't checked him for an hour. He just died
>>
>> I'm so sorry..... :-(
>>
>> I hope you have better luck on the next hatch attempt.
>>
>> What kind of incubator are you using?
>
> A little giant still air incubator (9200) with a 7200 circulated air fan
> kit, and the 6200 automatic egg turner.

I have always found artificial incubation to be difficult. There are so
many variables. It's very important, for example, not to let the sun's rays
fall on your incubator. I always pull the drapes in the spare bedroom I
have my incubator in. What water or not you put in the trays depends on the
weather, is it dry and the ambient humidity is low, or has it been raining?
Etc, etc.
I have had some fantastic hatches, almost 100%, and doing exactly the same
things, 25%.
It can be very upsetting to see chicks not being able to get out, and all
the various problems that artificial incubation in a small incubator can
cause, like fully formed chicks not able to get into the air space so dying
in shell. That's a humidity problem too.
I was very successful at hatching ducklings and one or two geese, so I
assumed the ambient humidity was too high for chicks.
I bought a dehumidifier for the room, but it didn't make much difference to
the hatch rate, although it gave me a lot of distilled water to offer to my
neighbours for their steam irons.
I have come to the conclusion that a broody hen is the very best of all at
hatching chicks!! Borrow one next year. Muscovy ducks are usually good
sitters too, if you wanted muskies again. A good hen will sit long enough
to hatch them too, but you must make sure she eats every day as it's over a
month.
I am not particularly in favour of using hens to hatch ducks or geese. Oh,
they can do it very easily and they mother them just as well as chicks, but
it really freaks the hens out when their "chicks" go into the water. It can
really distress them.

Tina




.

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