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Cheap plastic storage bins make great, easy-to-clean brooders!

Me too. I know it's controversial, but this is why I try to avoid the crested gene. There are just too many risks, and quite a few crested ducklings die young because of genetic problems.

Oh, is he crested? Poor thing...just one of the many plights of crested ducks. :/ That means that the issue could be neurological. You should still give him the B and E vitamins since it will still help if it is a bone or muscle problem, and at the very least it'll help the lil' guy feel better.

Oh, lordy, Kath...that's upsetting to see. :/ I didn't know you gave your fuzzbutts to UC Davis to analyze, that's rather handy. That's where my friend went to college, as well! I just wonder how on earth E. Coli got into the egg? Was it pooped on? As for you Mira, the rule of thumb is...

Hm, that's not a good sign...it might actually be wry neck. When he does walk is his head at an angle? If so then yeah, give him vitamin E and niacin. Hopefully with due diligence it will straighten out.

Yeah, I wouldn't use that yeast...but don't panic, Wobbles was just as weak when he came out of the shell. I gave him a bit of crushed B vitamins and sugar in warm water and he perked right up!

I hope he makes it! He's come awful far to give up now! <3 Also I know it seems odd but whenever I or anyone else candles or inspects an egg during hatch I always have this funny mental image of a duckling, in the dark, all squished up in a shell trying to bust out and suddenly a giant comes...

Read a little further, it already did. :p

Usually I crank up the heat and plug in a humidifier in whatever the room the bator is in for just such a circumstance; with call duck eggs odds are good you're going to have to intervene. The shells taking up space isn't an issue at all, just the high humidity. So if you have the plugs in maybe...

Oh. Ehm...I'm tentatively saying yeah, you should probably open it just to decrease the humidity, 90% is just way too high! But I also don't wanna bring down the wrath of more experienced hatchers here on the forum. :p Where's Lacrystol when ya need her?

That's pretty dang high for humidity...usually I advocate NEVER opening the bator, one single blast of cold air can do more damage than you'd think, but it's no good if they're too hot or humid, either. But if the final two are already zipping then you don't have much longer to wait, anyhow.

I really doubt that there is. I mean there's always bacteria in there, all eggs are covered with them, but they're the good kind. Probably doesn't help much with the smell, though. :p What's Peepers doing? Is he pecking at the other shells yet? How many are making noises now?

Yeah, kinda smells like wet dog hair and dried-up blood. But if you suspect there's a bacterial bloom in there that's no bueno! I have a ridiculously sensitive shnozz so it can be paaaainful when you first open up the bator after a hatch! Makes sense I guess, my vision and hearing both suck so...

'Eyyyy, you and me both, hehe! Although mine's in marine biology and not, you know, BIOLOGY-biology. But still. Biochem is the worst, isn't it?

It's so cute when the first one out starts to help the others hatch :p

Yay for babies! Pleeeease take pics when they're out!

Believe me sweets, we understand! I was an associate producer in the tech industry for a decade and NOTHING I endured in the rat race is as agonizingly stressful as hatching baby ducks!

If they externally pip, that means by definition that the shell is not intact. :p

You can, but I would leave 'em alone. Unless you can candle them without moving the eggs at all. It sounds like they're all close to hatching anyhow, so I don't think you should worry unless you have some stragglers.

I'd wait at LEAST 48 hours before thinking of intervening! That's about how much oxygen they have in that little air cell. If there's no external pip by then, you can put a "safe hole" in the shell above the air sac, but no more. However, considering that both scovies and khakis are good, strong...