Advice appreciated: Staying up late with a hatch

[Duckchick2011]

I just can't sleep, this is my first experience with wood duck eggs. I started out with 5, three were unfertilized, one died due to incubator malfunction and now just ONE, and it has internally piped, Thank God.

But now, I'm so anxious I can't sleep. I know staying awake isn't going to make the baby hatch any quicker or any smoother I'm just so on edge. This is my only wood duck and probably the only chance I'm going to get with hatching one for a long time. I just can't stand the thoughts of anything going wrong.

How long after internal pip can I expect the little sucker to externally pip anyway?

He pipped internally earlier today. Its so late and I know I should be asleep but...sigh...I just want this to go smooth. I don't care if I get just one female or one male, just a wood duck in the flesh and feather would make me sooo happy.

Any advice would be appreciated...though I am probably the only duck nut still awake at 1 in the morning.

 

[Duckchick2011]

I have to add that he is a wiggly little sucker, the egg is constantly rocking back and forth.
I take this as a good sign, so I am not too worried, I do wish his little beak would go ahead and break through, jus the sight would give me some relief.

 

[duckyfromoz]

I have hatched 100's of ducklings and still stay up almost all night sometimes with a hatch - so I can well understand your first time excitement.

It can be 24 hours between internal and external pip- so good that you are sleeping now- you may be up longer tomorrow when the unzipping starts.. That can be another 24 hours after the external pip - so it could be 2 days before the little one will actually hatch. Just keep the humidity up - and find some way to divert your attentions for the hours ahead. Best of luck with your egg.

 

[Duckchick2011]

Well I did manage to get some sleep, the little ducky is resting in the shell for right now.

No external pip but he seems to have absorbed the yolk completely, when I last candled I saw little shadows moving in the airsack.

I'm excited as all get out. I've incubated a hand full of different things through the years including quail and mallard ducks, but this is my first Wood duck. I've always been a little nuts for the wilder looking birds and this is somehing I have been dreaming about for a long time. I was always excited for the others but had the good sense to fall asleep, ducks will be ducks and they will do just fine with out me. But this guy has me a little wound up, he is the last survivor and the list of things that can go wrong at this point is pretty long.

I am glad I went to sleep finally...in anycase, things seem to be progressing fine without my involvement, besides you can't do anything during lockdown, not even candle, its just torture until that first external pip you know.