First time duck hatching

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ryanrad

ryanrad

Hatching
Apr 26, 2017
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Hi this is my first time incubating duck eggs they are a day past due and I have had to help one pip and find the shell to be rather hard even using a bobby pin to break should I help the others due to the hardness of the shells? I have kept the humidity where it is recommended and jumped it up for the last three days when I stopped turning. Also I have one egg showing discolouration through the shell on the opposite end of the air sac is that a sign of a dead egg?
Any advice would be appreciated thank you
 
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What kind of incubator are you using (still or forced air) and what have your temperatures been like? What date did you set the eggs? How long have the ducks been internally pipped?
 
I am using a forced air incubator and the the one I helped had been internally pipped for 14 hours so I popped a hole and helped it. While helping I found the shell to be rather hard to chip. I also set the eggs 30 days ago so I am starting to get worried a bit but I am still seeing movement
 
ryanrad said:
I am using a forced air incubator and the the one I helped had been internally pipped for 14 hours so I popped a hole and helped it. While helping I found the shell to be rather hard to chip. I also set the eggs 30 days ago so I am starting to get worried a bit but I am still seeing movement
Click to expand...


What was your temperature? Did you calibrate the thermometer to confirm it?

Allow 24 hours from internal pip to external pip before worrying as it often takes that long. They'll be able to break the shell. After external pip, it very commonly takes them 24 to 48 hours to start zipping. You've still got a little while to go before you need to be worrying and thinking about helping.
 
I checked the calibration and it was writhing 1 degree and I run at 99 F in the incubator thank you for the advice I will give it a bit more time when they internally pip. Also I have one egg showing discolouration on the shell now as a dark black coming through the opposite end of the air sac is that a sign of a dead egg
 
ryanrad said:
I checked the calibration and it was writhing 1 degree and I run at 99 F in the incubator thank you for the advice I will give it a bit more time when they internally pip. Also I have one egg showing discolouration on the shell now as a dark black coming through the opposite end of the air sac is that a sign of a dead egg
Click to expand...


99 is half a degree low, so that would explain the late hatch.

I haven't experienced discoloration on that end of the egg myself, so I'm not sure if it's died or not.
 
Okay thank you very much for your advice it has put me at ease with this being my first time and I will give the discoloured egg the benefit of the doubt for a bit thank you so much for your help
 

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