2 duck eggs - day 22 and day 24 - are they ready to hatch??

[PirateGirl]

Duck eggs take 28 days to incubate, so don’t open or “assist” either if they are only on days 22 and 24.

You definitely should be able to see movement at this point if they are still viable. Move the light around and tap the shell lightly with your fingernail and you should get some sort of response.

 

[MGG]

Duck eggs take 28 days to incubate, so don’t open or “assist” either if they are only on days 22 and 24.

You definitely should be able to see movement at this point if they are still viable. Move the light around and tap the shell lightly with your fingernail and you should get some sort of response.

X2. I was just thinking maybe they're Calls.

 

[Mitchellnc]

Wow! Thank you all for the insight! I'll do that! I did see what I think are veins, but no movement. But, cracks on eggs look like veins to me, so what do I know? Ill start with the hole and work from there...outside.

 

[PirateGirl]

Wow! Thank you all for the insight! I'll do that! I did see what I think are veins, but no movement. But, cracks on eggs look like veins to me, so what do I know? Ill start with the hole and work from there...outside.

I wouldn’t make a hole unless you are sure they’ve already internally pipped. If they have internally popped you would be able to see shadows/movement in the air cell.

 

[Mitchellnc]

And thats after day 28?

 

[Mitchellnc]

The ducks we have are 2 pekin, 2 khaki Campbell and 1 buff. The drakes are pekin and khaki. So the babies will be one of the those, BTW. I don't know if these are call ducks?

 

[PirateGirl]

And thats after day 28?

Correct. There is generally no need to assist hatching unless something goes wrong on day 28. Interfering early could be bad.

 

[PirateGirl]

The ducks we have are 2 pekin, 2 khaki Campbell and 1 buff. The drakes are pekin and khaki. So the babies will be one of the those, BTW. I don't know if these are call ducks?

These breeds are not call ducks.

 

[PirateGirl]

Have your eggs hatched?

 

[younglori]

I have 2 ducks in a homemade incubator. 99 degrees/50% humidity pretty constant. No weird smells. Just realized a day and a half ago I should have elevated humidity levels in the last week or so, so working on that. I'm not sure if they are ready at all to hatch. The last 2 eggs I tried assisting weren't in this time frame/drowned/I messed up. They didn't survive. This is my first time doing this and I'm terrified of harming these guys. Day 22 has a bruise thats been there for a week or so. Not sure if its anything. Help?