hatching ducks

[KimberBee]

I'm new to hatching ducks (welsh harlequin) with an incubator. I let the wrong duck get broody and she's not the best broody duck. I took the eggs from her b/c she was leaving too long and she crushed one (accidentally, I'm sure). She also got mean. None of my other ducks have bitten me when they were broody.

My question is how to know when to assist. I had one that was developing and I thought we were on track. Then it stopped moving. I put in a safety hole using the 5/64 drill bit. I finally opened the egg today to find a fully formed female duckling. The only thing left was to resorb the yolk sac. It didn't smell bad like infection. There was no visible bleeding. From the gross view, this was a perfectly formed beautiful duckling.

I'm a biologist by education, and I know this happens naturally. I'm still questioning my job as a caretaker.
When do you assist?
I've been told I should open it up... but if something is wrong, it seems this is nature's way of handling it. I'm wondering what others would do.
Thank you

picture below is our first hatchling of the season. and one of my welshies.

 

[BlueBaby]

I just hatched out 3 of the Welsh Harlequin breed of duckling's in my incubator from shipped egg's on the 18th. I ended up with 1 male and 2 females. I left them alone in my incubator until I seen that they were trying to hatch, then I just removed some of the loose shell's. Then yesterday I had 9 baby Naked Neck chick's that also hatched out. They are all in my brooder together now.

What do you have the humidity of your incubator set at?

 

[KimberBee]

I just hatched out 3 of the Welsh Harlequin breed of duckling's in my incubator from shipped egg's on the 18th. I ended up with 1 male and 2 females. I left them alone in my incubator until I seen that they were trying to hatch, then I just removed some of the loose shell's. Then yesterday I had 9 baby Naked Neck chick's that also hatched out. They are all in my brooder together now.

What do you have the humidity of your incubator set at?

that's funny. I also just got nacked neck chicks at tractor supply.

I have a very small incubator. it doesn't have a temperature setting. You just add water. I also have a very fine mister that I spritz them.

I'm in East Texas and the air is so humid, I can't imagine adding too much more or it will rain.

 

[BlueBaby]

that's funny. I also just got nacked neck chicks at tractor supply.

I have a very small incubator. it doesn't have a temperature setting. You just add water. I also have a very fine mister that I spritz them.

I'm in East Texas and the air is so humid, I can't imagine adding too much more or it will rain.

I hatched this batch of naked neck's from egg's from my next door neighbor's hen's that used to be mine. I had brought my Bielefelder rooster over there to fertilize the hen's.

I used to have one of those HR 360's that hold's 22 egg's, but I bought myself a bigger incubator that can hold 55 egg's and that's what I hatched these in. Both of these incubator's have digital reading's, so it tells you what the temp and humidity is. My bigger incubator will even set off an alarm if something's not right.

 

[Canadian Wind]

that's funny. I also just got nacked neck chicks at tractor supply.

I have a very small incubator. it doesn't have a temperature setting. You just add water. I also have a very fine mister that I spritz them.

I'm in East Texas and the air is so humid, I can't imagine adding too much more or it will rain.

Do you have a separate thermometer as well as hygrometer? I would be very worried with a unit that you can't set the temperature...

 

[BlueBaby]

Do you have a separate thermometer as well as hygrometer? I would be very worried with a unit that you can't set the temperature...

I agree.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

that's funny. I also just got nacked neck chicks at tractor supply.

I have a very small incubator. it doesn't have a temperature setting. You just add water. I also have a very fine mister that I spritz them.

I'm in East Texas and the air is so humid, I can't imagine adding too much more or it will rain.

Too high of humidity can cause hatching issues. There is a good article about humidity in the hatching articles. Personally, I now hatch dry meaning I do not add water until lockdown. I also live in the humid south (Memphis, TN) and this has greatly improved my hatch rate. My last two duckling hatches were 100%.