Day 30, no internal pips, but all alive

[Orca5094]

Oh gosh, so sorry you got another malposition! Yes, shipped eggs seem to be more likely to be malpositioned. I had two like this last year, they were shipped eggs. I only got one out successfully since I didn't notice the other one in time.

You've done the right thing making a safety hole there, so good job! These guys don't always make it, as you've already seen, but all we can do to help is make the safety hole and keep that part of the egg up higher than the rest. And hope the little one makes some progress on it's own, or at least hangs in there long enough to absorb all of it's yolk and blood vessels and then can be helped out when ready.

It's bedtime here in Sweden, but I wish you luck! Again, it's just a waiting game because we can't force the duckling to be ready to hatch faster so we can help them out. Those blood vessels and yolk have to be completely gone before it's ready to come out.

 

[duckman4450]

Hi all. I don't mean to bump this thread to the top but just wanted to post an update.

Unfortunately the 2nd egg that was malpositioned died not too long after I made the hole. The other egg was very underdeveloped so I just removed it from the incubator.

There is good to come out of this, however. For some reason it never crossed my mind to ask my relative who has hatched many birds to borrow their incubator instead of using my crappy homemade cooler that was impossible to control the temp and humidity. I ended up getting it the other day.

It is a Lyon RX2 (over $700 geez I hope I don't break it!) and it is INCREDIBLE. Auto egg turners, auto shutoff over 101 degrees, constant temperature that literally doesn't change, and also constant water level so humidity doesn't change. I am so EGGcited for my next go at hatching eggs which will begin shortly.

I will try to remember to post some pictures here if my ducklings end up hatching (seems hard to screw it up with this incubator) so you can be proud of me for my first hatch! Thank you SO much to every one who helped me along the way

 

[Orca5094]

Sorry you lost the others as well, but very happy you got a better incubator to use! That should help a lot, but if they are shipped eggs again just be aware they have a much lower hatch rate than non-shipped eggs. That said, some people do have success with them. I had terrible experiences with shipped eggs, so I will not do it again myself.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

 

[duckman4450]

Sorry you lost the others as well, but very happy you got a better incubator to use! That should help a lot, but if they are shipped eggs again just be aware they have a much lower hatch rate than non-shipped eggs. That said, some people do have success with them. I had terrible experiences with shipped eggs, so I will not do it again myself.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Since I had 2 malpositioned eggs out of 3, I'm assuming that the low temp and shipping combo caused it. Unfortunately, being located in Illinois, it's hard to find fresh mallard eggs right now. The only choice I have is online

 

[Orca5094]

Since I had 2 malpositioned eggs out of 3, I'm assuming that the low temp and shipping combo caused it. Unfortunately, being located in Illinois, it's hard to find fresh mallard eggs right now. The only choice I have is online

I understand your predicament. In my part of Sweden ducks are very uncommon pets and my only option to start a flock was to have eggs shipped from southern Sweden. Out of two shipments, and a total of 24 eggs, I got two ducks out of it (one was a malposition I was able to save). About half died early in incubation, the other half late in incubation. Lots of malpositions and some deformities of the ones that didn't make it. Very sad and heartbreaking, but at least I got two awesome ducks out of it. I had a 100% hatch rate with that same incubator this past Spring when I used eggs from my own ducks.

Anyway, so good luck to you! It's a big risk with shipped eggs, but sometimes it works out. I think the new incubator will definitely give you better odds.

 

[freakshow5]

Help I have 4 duck eggs that have been in the incubator (bro sea mini advanced) for 30 days, I've seen the eggs wiggle a little but they haven't hatched they're khaki Campbell/ Pekin the temp is 99.3 I don't know what the humidity is. I've never hatched any before when I candel them I can see them moving

 

[WVduckchick]

Help I have 4 duck eggs that have been in the incubator (bro sea mini advanced) for 30 days, I've seen the eggs wiggle a little but they haven't hatched they're khaki Campbell/ Pekin the temp is 99.3 I don't know what the humidity is. I've never hatched any before when I candel them I can see them moving

When did you candle them last?

 

[freakshow5]

Last night.

 

[WVduckchick]

Have the air cells drawn down? If you still saw movement, I'd give them a couple more days at least. Did you add water around day 25?

 

[freakshow5]

Yes, the air sac's are where they should be, I just did the float test and all 4 floated and started moving