The Poultry Keeper

jaydee67 · Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2005 9:35 pm Post subject: Duckie eggs!

For anyone who doesn't know I work in a small primary school and one of the classes is incubating duck eggs. Tonight after school I candled a couple prior to trying it with the kids tomorrow, 3 out of 3 candled are developing! This is great news, a) because the power was off for a few hours the day after setting the eggs and b) coz I get to take home the hatchlings. Gonna candle the rest with the kids tomorrow!

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

hope you have a 100% response when you have your audience. What type of ducks should they be?

debcat · Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2005 9:41 pm Post subject:

Well done, hope they hatch well for you

jaydee67 · Posted: Thu Apr 28, 2005 9:43 pm Post subject:

not sure! lol! from description I think they may be khaki campbells. The egg donor is off the island at the moment so I can't ask.

jaydee67 · Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2005 11:36 pm Post subject:

We candled 10 eggs, 9 are developing! Only slight prob is that one has a small crack in it we hadn't noticed before. We are going to leave it and see what happens. The kids were fascinated.

Found this:http://www.duckeggs.com/hatching-eggs.html which if you scroll down shows you candling pics.

debcat · Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2005 11:45 pm Post subject:

You can stick sellotape over the crack

jaydee67 · Posted: Fri Apr 29, 2005 11:51 pm Post subject:

It seems to be sealed and the embryo is developing - does it need the tape to help? We have spoken to the kids about how it may die in the shell but we will give it a chance. They have been doing work on life cycles and looking at a duck life cycle and as part of that how it can die at any point in the cycle from egg to adult. Even the infertile egg was a valuable teaching tool as it showed the differences.

Knobby · Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 7:12 am Post subject:

Well done Jaydee Very Happy

summayah · Joined: 14 Apr 2005 Posts: 4289 Location: luton

hello jaydee, I seem to remember reading that you could put nail varnish over the crack to stop the passge of air in or out plus bugs

jaydee67 · Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 9:10 am Post subject:

OK - I also have the suggestion of candle wax so the duck can still break out of the shell - any more suggestions? has anyone actually done this?

NannyP · Posted: Sat Apr 30, 2005 9:36 am Post subject:

Candle wax sounds a better option as Nail Varnish (which I too have heard) has a strong odour.
Confused

mojo · Posted: Sun May 01, 2005 9:17 am Post subject: mojo

i used abit cut from anormal elastoplast it worked ok best of lluck.......mojo

ovalina · Joined: 28 Apr 2005 Posts: 12 Location: Shetland

Best of luck with the hatch - what colour nail varnish would you use Wink

jaydee67 · Posted: Mon May 02, 2005 9:03 pm Post subject:

LOL! We are trying the plaster - it seemed the least messy option. The embryo is still moving in there - it is so easy to candle white duck eggs compared to green hens' eggs - not to mention the maran eggs in my bator! Don't know if any of them are developing. Day 21 and counting.