need egg help.

[oliv]

hi guys, was looking for some advice..
i work for wildlife rescue aus and a few days ago received some eggs in.. (not wildlife but friends duck)
placed them in the brooder(dont own incubator) at 37.5 humidity 55% as per internet sources.
turned 4 to 6 times a day and candled, they all seem to have survived losing their mum, they are believed to be duck eggs but only one is really big. there was definite movement. today their seems to be quite a lot of movement in air cell but not being practised at this had continued to turn, (until just now reading about lockdown) their are no external pips as yet. There has been some egg shaking, have not heard any vocalisation, not sure of age, the owners said two weeks which would make this three but they also said they were ducks so.. that would give them another week..maybe a mix?
should i up the humidity and leave now? .. advice would be appreciated..
thankyou

 

[chicmom]

If you see some egg shaking, then you really need to get that humidity up. Should be any time now.

 

[oliv]

what percentage humidity and is there anything i should watch for to negate that unfortunate turning that i did?
thankyou for replying.. cant believe i missed that lockdown business

 

[oliv]

please help..
i know i seem terribly ignorant but i am a carer not a hatcher, if you had a chicken with a broken leg or wing i could splint it, if it got sick i could probably diagnose and prescribe the correct meds but i missed lockdown because the owners didnt know how long their duck had been sitting (she was taken by a goanna) and the info they did give me appears incorrect by a whole week.. i have been sleeping with my head torch on next to the brooder so as to constantly correct the temperature and i am the type of girl whose pet rooster sleeps on a pillow at night.(that is a compromise he would prefer to sleep on my head). it is 2am here and i am incredibly stressed, please help...

 

[cashdl]

I don't know ducks but bump the humidity to 75% and you will probably be fine. don't worry about your turning the eggs. They will get plenty turned once the ducks start hatching and bumping into the other eggs. It doesn't hurt them.


Lanae

 

[oliv]

update on unlucky duckies (?).
so there is still no external pip but out of the eight eggs in the brooder seven are actively moving either in or nearly in the air cell, the eighth is still alive but seems to be at a different stage than the others. he has a much smaller air cell and blood vessels near the cell just starting to recede, i am quite confused about this, his egg is considerably larger (nearly half as big again) than the others in the clutch that are really no bigger than chicken eggs.. could it be that his egg was a double yolk er? or that he is actually the only duck and the rest belong to some sneaky hen that chose free incubation.. goodness knows.. i have upped the humidity by requisitioning one of mums table tray decorations and now I'm just waiting.. and hoping that they will be OK. so far they haven't been the luckiest duckies in the world with their mum being eaten by a giant lizard, being left cold for nearly three hours, being incubated in a brooder by an amateur with dodgy temps and humidity..
but we are so close now.. come on babies, you can do it
Q, how long can they survive in the air cell before the air runs out?

 

[oliv]

hey everyone
i now have five trying to make external pip and two moving into the air cell...SOOOO EXCITED!!! i just heard one call for the first time..
nearly there, wahoo!!
maybe i should start calling them lucky duckies

 

[Kickin' Chickin']

Did they hatch?

 

[Linn Bee]

Just have to ask.

What if that overly large egg is an 'ugly duckling'? Are you prepared for all the therapy sessions that will entail?