Internal And external pipping

[EmilyB86]

I have got some call duck eggs in my brinsea20 incubator on day 24 ( due to hatch two days from now) and they still have not internally pipped. The ducks were still movi the last time I candled them about two days ago but none of them have internally pipped. What day do they usually pip internally and externally? Do you think that they are still alive? Is there anything I can do? The temp is at 37.5'c and humidity at 60-65% am I doing anything wrong? Should my eggs be rocking?!!
All help would be greatly appreciated

 

[Orca5094]

Incubation times are always a ballpark figure. Sometimes they hatch a little early, sometimes a little late. Sometimes low temperatures during incubation (even short-term low temps) can slow down their development and delay them a little. Also, shipped eggs seem to often be a little late hatching.

If you are sure none of them have externally pipped, go ahead and open the incubator and do a quick candling to confirm they are still alive and moving in there. You can even tap or scratch very lightly on the shells and hold the air cell end up to your ear. If they have internally pipped, you will hear them peeping and scratching back to you. That is my favorite thing in the whole wide world. Hearing an egg peep back at me. (Plus it lets you know for sure when they have internally pipped, as it's sometimes hard to tell for sure with candling.)

So anyway, as long as they are still moving in there, don't worry too much and just give them more time. Ducklings like to take their sweet time hatching. ^-^

 

[EmilyB86]

Thank you! This makes me a bit happier- how long will it be between internal and external pip?!

 

[Orca5094]

They tend to rest about 24 hours between internal and external pip. Then about another 24 hours to start "unzipping" around the egg shell to hatch out.

 

[EmilyB86]

Do you think I should help them out when they have externally popped because they are known as hard to hatch and I don't want to unnecessarily loose all of my ducks!

 

[Orca5094]

Do you think I should help them out when they have externally popped because they are known as hard to hatch and I don't want to unnecessarily loose all of my ducks!

Only if they are externally pipped more than 24 hours without making any progress at all. I know Calls sometimes need help, but helping too early is pretty much a death sentence to the duckling. They need time to finish absorbing their yolk sac and the blood in the vessels in the inner membrane of the shell.

 

[EmilyB86]

Do my ducks need brewers yeast and how much? Is the pip rather sudden as in there is no pop and then all of sudden it is there or is it very slowly growing? I can here them peeping but they haven't externally pipped but they internally pipped like 20 hours ago! I starting to worry

 

[EmilyB86]

Any help!?

 

[Orca5094]

External pip will be sudden, but they are usually very small and sometimes hard to see. It's just a very tiny crack in the shell, pushed slightly outwards. That's all they need to get air in there and rest (again for about 24 hours) until they are ready to continue hatching by cracking all the way around the egg shell.

 

[EmilyB86]

Thanks for all of this help!! I will post pictures when/if they hatch