Lock down for duck egg

[BackyardBirds1]

I saved my pekin ducks egg on July 1st-2nd after she got killed it's now August 27th And still it has not hatched, I couldn't buy a incubator so I made one I used a plastic container with a towel and the a heating pad on top of the towel with the egg sitting on the heating pad and on some hay. I new the temp had to be 99.5 and the humidity 50% I think. I candled it 2 weeks ago and it was moving in the egg and then moving more the next night, and now the air cell is large and almost the entire egg is filled with the duckling I'm just wondering when I should start Lock down and what exactly to do please help this is my first time. I'll try and get some pictures up

 

[HumbleHen207]

Duck eggs usually hatch within 28 days of setting and I set mine into lock down around day 25. When did you officially start incubating the eggs?

 

[Amykins]

I gotta say, if the egg hatches that's quite impressive using just a standard heating pad and a plastic box!

 

[HumbleHen207]

I have had successful hatches in styrofoam coolers with light bulbs as the heating element. Takes a lot of tweaking but it can be done.

 

[BackyardBirds1]

HumbleHen207, I'm not sure when I did but the duckling is still growing and moving inside.

 

[HumbleHen207]

I would probably put them into lock down now. It is safer to put them into lock down early than it is to continue turning them if they may possibly hatch soon.

 

[BackyardBirds1]

Alright Thanks