KarenLouise
Hatching
- Jul 10, 2016
- 4
- 0
- 7
Hey everyone! I've been waddling around the website since day 1, and searching high and low for information on duck eggs and hatching/incubation periods. Let me give you our story...
We are a family with 5 girls. One of my girls who is 7 was climbing a tree in the middle of a city, and all of a sudden my 6 year old started screaming bloody murder. Of course, I ran outside thinking that one of the girls had fallen and hurt themselves, but to my surprise, there's my 7 year old, up in the tree, looking down because there was a nest of buried eggs that she hadn't noticed while getting up there. I walk closer, and it was most literally, a yolk bath. There were 4 eggs, 3 of which my daughter had completely smashed. AT this point, they are both crying and feeling awful... NOT Knowing whether or not this mother would come back to this murder scene, we took the one good egg. *I cleaned the nest of the other 3, just in case she would come back and finish her laying*
After MUCH debate, we decided to go ahead an try and hatch it. No experience, homemade incubator, homemade hatcher. We knew that he had zero change of survival if not, and also that he would be euthanized if we turned him in. *let me note here, that my father is retired President from the Environmental Protection Services* The thought of euthanization, even in an egg that hadn't yet begun to grow, unsettled us all, but MOSTLY my 7 year old who, at this point, was begging we try to save it. *Has anyone ever seen the Spongebob Episode where they try to save an egg because the lightbulb goes out?? well, It's our favorite episode.
After much research we figured this was a mallard egg, because of it's blueish green shell. I did, however, read that WOOD DUCKS lay eggs in tree cavities, but I'm 99% certain it's a mallard.
They ALL knew that there was no guarantees.
So, we go ahead, candled at 7 days and POOF, magic happened! We went on vacation day 7-14 and brought our little "Roger" with us, candling daily, spraying with water. Temp during incubation was a fairly steady 99.5-101, turning was done 4 times a day, etc etc.
I'm going to fast forward because my fingers are getting tired. Day 25, day of lockdown. Everything going great, we candled him before he went in and actually got a video of him moving. I thought he was trying to pip. We set him, sprayed him down, marked his air sac with a pencil. We've sprayed him, twice a day, and have had a CONSTANT monitor on the humidity. By day 26, *next day* however, I noticed no more movement. Day 27, yesterday, again no movement, but it appears when candling that he has taken in his yolk sac. Today is hatch day, still not movement. When I say no movement, I mean Dead in shell no movement. I can see the air sac, I can see some feathers, I can see some veins on his backside, and I can see a lighter pocket where his yolk sac would be.
***BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE*** This is why I have concern... even though I've done much research, I've gotten MIXED information on DARK BRUISING BLACK BLUE STAIN type thing that has started on his backside. I noticed it the day I set him, about the same time I noticed this staining.
So today is DAY 28, staining has not gotten any worse, there is no funky smell. My DH and I DID put a TINY hole in the egg last night, just in case he HAD pipped on Friday so he could get some fresh air. *He made it extremely tiny, in case it IS a wood duck, and we are just another 3 days off from hatch period*
When I candled today, at the opposite side of the air sac, I'm noticing what looks like a black dot, and some yellowish 5% area. Not sure if that means hes a sticky egg or not. Also, he still hasn't moved. I thought I would be able to tell if he was breathing or there was movement, because up until this point.... he sure has been a fighter.
My question is this... when do I begin to intervene? I'm afraid that he may have NOT gotten through his internal membrane, and is suffocating. The staining also scares me, thinking he may be dead however, I've read of many people having this happen, some with EXPLOSIVE results, and some with perfect hatching ducklings. So... that really got me no where.
I'm ready to do whatever it is, whether it be intervene and take the chance, or wait it out and take that chance. I really want to see this little guy survive. If nothing else, this has been a wonderful learning experience for my family, especially ALL the girls. It gave them ALL a chance to see life, most literally, in action from conception.
I'm going to try to upload the video of day 25 and his movements and his air sac picture, to his candling this morning and what I now see. I also want to note that from day 25 to day 27, his air sac did DIP *get slightly bigger* and from what I read that meant he was coming, but why the no movement??? No movement at all....
I know I have a case of the *Mother Hen* syndrome, but I figured after peeping around this forum for so long and finding so many experience, kind and helpful people.... I'd go ahead and ask for some help myself.
So.... any takers???? What's next....
We are a family with 5 girls. One of my girls who is 7 was climbing a tree in the middle of a city, and all of a sudden my 6 year old started screaming bloody murder. Of course, I ran outside thinking that one of the girls had fallen and hurt themselves, but to my surprise, there's my 7 year old, up in the tree, looking down because there was a nest of buried eggs that she hadn't noticed while getting up there. I walk closer, and it was most literally, a yolk bath. There were 4 eggs, 3 of which my daughter had completely smashed. AT this point, they are both crying and feeling awful... NOT Knowing whether or not this mother would come back to this murder scene, we took the one good egg. *I cleaned the nest of the other 3, just in case she would come back and finish her laying*
After MUCH debate, we decided to go ahead an try and hatch it. No experience, homemade incubator, homemade hatcher. We knew that he had zero change of survival if not, and also that he would be euthanized if we turned him in. *let me note here, that my father is retired President from the Environmental Protection Services* The thought of euthanization, even in an egg that hadn't yet begun to grow, unsettled us all, but MOSTLY my 7 year old who, at this point, was begging we try to save it. *Has anyone ever seen the Spongebob Episode where they try to save an egg because the lightbulb goes out?? well, It's our favorite episode.
After much research we figured this was a mallard egg, because of it's blueish green shell. I did, however, read that WOOD DUCKS lay eggs in tree cavities, but I'm 99% certain it's a mallard.
They ALL knew that there was no guarantees.
So, we go ahead, candled at 7 days and POOF, magic happened! We went on vacation day 7-14 and brought our little "Roger" with us, candling daily, spraying with water. Temp during incubation was a fairly steady 99.5-101, turning was done 4 times a day, etc etc.
I'm going to fast forward because my fingers are getting tired. Day 25, day of lockdown. Everything going great, we candled him before he went in and actually got a video of him moving. I thought he was trying to pip. We set him, sprayed him down, marked his air sac with a pencil. We've sprayed him, twice a day, and have had a CONSTANT monitor on the humidity. By day 26, *next day* however, I noticed no more movement. Day 27, yesterday, again no movement, but it appears when candling that he has taken in his yolk sac. Today is hatch day, still not movement. When I say no movement, I mean Dead in shell no movement. I can see the air sac, I can see some feathers, I can see some veins on his backside, and I can see a lighter pocket where his yolk sac would be.
***BUT WAIT THERE IS MORE*** This is why I have concern... even though I've done much research, I've gotten MIXED information on DARK BRUISING BLACK BLUE STAIN type thing that has started on his backside. I noticed it the day I set him, about the same time I noticed this staining.
So today is DAY 28, staining has not gotten any worse, there is no funky smell. My DH and I DID put a TINY hole in the egg last night, just in case he HAD pipped on Friday so he could get some fresh air. *He made it extremely tiny, in case it IS a wood duck, and we are just another 3 days off from hatch period*
When I candled today, at the opposite side of the air sac, I'm noticing what looks like a black dot, and some yellowish 5% area. Not sure if that means hes a sticky egg or not. Also, he still hasn't moved. I thought I would be able to tell if he was breathing or there was movement, because up until this point.... he sure has been a fighter.
My question is this... when do I begin to intervene? I'm afraid that he may have NOT gotten through his internal membrane, and is suffocating. The staining also scares me, thinking he may be dead however, I've read of many people having this happen, some with EXPLOSIVE results, and some with perfect hatching ducklings. So... that really got me no where.
I'm ready to do whatever it is, whether it be intervene and take the chance, or wait it out and take that chance. I really want to see this little guy survive. If nothing else, this has been a wonderful learning experience for my family, especially ALL the girls. It gave them ALL a chance to see life, most literally, in action from conception.
I'm going to try to upload the video of day 25 and his movements and his air sac picture, to his candling this morning and what I now see. I also want to note that from day 25 to day 27, his air sac did DIP *get slightly bigger* and from what I read that meant he was coming, but why the no movement??? No movement at all....
I know I have a case of the *Mother Hen* syndrome, but I figured after peeping around this forum for so long and finding so many experience, kind and helpful people.... I'd go ahead and ask for some help myself.
So.... any takers???? What's next....
