1DuckMore
In the Brooder
- Mar 6, 2024
- 12
- 36
- 49
I am brand new here and to incubating eggs.
I posted for the first time last night under the assisting hatch thread. Mostly, I was just grateful and thankful for the article on how to make safety holes, (and also have a concern for high humidity).
Three of my four duck remaining eggs had piped externally yesterday (all had internally piped on lockdown day). My lone Ancona egg had not yet externally pipped. But the piping that I saw did not appear to be through the whole shell, and zero progress had been made over 12 hours on any of them. They had been moving a bit, rolling some, but making no noise. I was worried. After reading a bunch here, I made safety holes (wow, those shells are hard), candled each, saw movement and heard cheeping from the three Cayuga’s - one sounded alarmed, the other two were just talking with me! The Ancona made clicking sounds, working away I think. This was the best! Life! I quickly put them back in the incubator and the movement increase continued. Soon after I was able to go to sleep. It is now 10 hours later. The safety holes on all the Cayuga’s are bigger. One has made some progress zipping, the Ancona looks the same. On my egg #7, (I’ll try for photos) I think I am seeing a toe instead of a beak, and on egg #5 I am nearly certain I am looking through the safety hole at a baby duckling eye! On #9 the safety hole is larger and I think what I see is the membrane. My Ancona seems still. Worried, but it may just be behind. It has a very large saddled air pocket and I incubated it mostly in a vertical way with hand turning.
My questions are these:
1. When/Should I intervene more - especially with #7 if that’s a toe I’m looking at?
2. Can someone link me to an article on what to do if they are not positioned properly in the egg?
3. I saw that Coconut Oil is recommended if you are intervening to moisten the membrane. Does anyone know if its derivative, MCT oil, is also an option?
4. Anything I can/should do for #5 who is looking out at me through the safety hole? (Could not get a good picture).
5.Should I calm down since it is Day 27, not 29 or 30?
Just so nervous!
I have had many incubator problems along the way and have lost 6 out of 10 eggs. Also, I did not mist the eggs but for the last few days before lockdown. I had read about it, but thought it was later in the process than Day 10-wrong!! But I have had a high humidity problem on and off throughout. Easy to correct low humidity, but couldn’t find a great way to lower without opening the incubator a lot. This incubator, a Sailnovo, does not have vents.
It is a literal lifesaver to have this group as a resource! Thank you for your help and support!
I posted for the first time last night under the assisting hatch thread. Mostly, I was just grateful and thankful for the article on how to make safety holes, (and also have a concern for high humidity).
Three of my four duck remaining eggs had piped externally yesterday (all had internally piped on lockdown day). My lone Ancona egg had not yet externally pipped. But the piping that I saw did not appear to be through the whole shell, and zero progress had been made over 12 hours on any of them. They had been moving a bit, rolling some, but making no noise. I was worried. After reading a bunch here, I made safety holes (wow, those shells are hard), candled each, saw movement and heard cheeping from the three Cayuga’s - one sounded alarmed, the other two were just talking with me! The Ancona made clicking sounds, working away I think. This was the best! Life! I quickly put them back in the incubator and the movement increase continued. Soon after I was able to go to sleep. It is now 10 hours later. The safety holes on all the Cayuga’s are bigger. One has made some progress zipping, the Ancona looks the same. On my egg #7, (I’ll try for photos) I think I am seeing a toe instead of a beak, and on egg #5 I am nearly certain I am looking through the safety hole at a baby duckling eye! On #9 the safety hole is larger and I think what I see is the membrane. My Ancona seems still. Worried, but it may just be behind. It has a very large saddled air pocket and I incubated it mostly in a vertical way with hand turning.
My questions are these:
1. When/Should I intervene more - especially with #7 if that’s a toe I’m looking at?
2. Can someone link me to an article on what to do if they are not positioned properly in the egg?
3. I saw that Coconut Oil is recommended if you are intervening to moisten the membrane. Does anyone know if its derivative, MCT oil, is also an option?
4. Anything I can/should do for #5 who is looking out at me through the safety hole? (Could not get a good picture).
5.Should I calm down since it is Day 27, not 29 or 30?
Just so nervous!
I have had many incubator problems along the way and have lost 6 out of 10 eggs. Also, I did not mist the eggs but for the last few days before lockdown. I had read about it, but thought it was later in the process than Day 10-wrong!! But I have had a high humidity problem on and off throughout. Easy to correct low humidity, but couldn’t find a great way to lower without opening the incubator a lot. This incubator, a Sailnovo, does not have vents.
It is a literal lifesaver to have this group as a resource! Thank you for your help and support!
! I'm sorry, I've never hatched eggs before but I don't want your post to be overlooked (I know how frustrating that is...). Let me see if I can get someone who can help!
. But so far they've all eventually made it out on their own. It's usually best to wait for their timing.
.
However, in all my research they say that they usually still hatch out okay. I’m glad for the safety hole as it allows me to see that its breathing steadily. My Ancona (#10) has been at least rocking. But I don’t see any external pip of its own. I read some about bruising, and hoping that is not what I see as its large, and again, away from the air pocket. If it is this would be quite an irony as #10’s air pocket takes up more space than any of the others. It’s huge. I’ll take a photo and maybe you can give me your thoughts. I’m hoping its a shadow. I’ll include a picture of all of them, it’s wonderful to see progress! Thanks so much for sharing your time and knowledge!
