It appears that both duck eggs failed to incubate properly and will not be hatching. Since the chicken eggs hatched we have been candling the duck eggs every few days. Last weekend we determined that the first egg was no longer alive, and tonight we verified that the second egg also failed.
The lesson to learn here seems to be that is is not wise to place eggs in the incubator that will hatch on different days. I suspect that the hatching chicks contaminated the still incubating ducks with bacteria that then seeped through the duck egg shell and attacked the embryos.
Once again here is a case where nature knows best. The manner in which eggs incubate in nature allows for eggs of different ages to hatch on the same day. The mother responsible does not sit on the eggs until she has layed a full set. The first eggs do not incubate yet, they are held back by the cooler temperatures. Once the mom starts to sit on the eggs and raise the temperature, all the eggs proceed equally and hatch together. That prevents the problem we just experienced in our incubator.
So, its time to clean and sterilize the incubator, and place another set of either chicken or duck eggs in (but not both) to start incubating.
Follow along our adventure as we make the transition from corporate city life to the world of natural farming. Each day brings a new experience and brings us to a deeper understanding about the life and spirit that made America great. At our farm we do our best to give the animals we raise a natural, free, happy, stressfree lifestyle. Our mission is to learn and share how to manage a farming operation that is both profitable and humane.
No comments:
Post a Comment