Advice for Muscovy egg hatching

[mshap7]

Hi all, sorry if you’ve seen my multiple posts, I just have a ton of questions, and everyone on here is so kind and informative!! I’m on day 12 with my muscovy eggs and I’m reading they are very hard to successfully hatch. It seems like they die in the shell in the last few days before they are supposed to hatch. Any advice? I have begun taking out the eggs for 10 minutes to cool and mist. Will move onto 15 minutes next week. Humidity has been fluctuating between 46-55% and I plan to raise it to 70-75% after they internally pip. Is this good? I’m reading some horror stories about muscovy hatchings and I’m getting very nervous!

 

[casportpony]

Have you read this?
Incubating And Hatching Muscovy Eggs

I keep my humidity at no more than 45% and I wait until they pip externally to rais humidity and never set mine higher than 70%

 

[mshap7]

Have you read this?
Incubating And Hatching Muscovy Eggs

I keep my humidity at no more than 45% and I wait until they pip externally to rais humidity and never set mine higher than 70%

I haven’t seen that thread thank you it looks very informative! I’m going to decrease the humidity in my incubator right now. Do you raise the humidity when you see the first egg externally pip? I thought you shouldn’t open the incubator at all when you see that first external pip.

 

[casportpony]

I haven’t seen that thread thank you it looks very informative! I’m going to decrease the humidity in my incubator right now. Do you raise the humidity when you see the first egg externally pip? I thought you shouldn’t open the incubator at all when you see that first external pip.

I almost always wait until I see an egg externally pipped to raise my humidity.
What incubator are you using?

 

[mshap7]

I almost always wait until I see an egg externally pipped to raise my humidity.
What incubator are you using?

I have a Little Giant still air incubator. Not the best but it’s doing its job so far as far as I can tell.

 

[casportpony]

What temp are you at? Do you have humidity and temp sensors in it?

 

[mshap7]

What temp are you at? Do you have humidity and temp sensors in it?

Yes there are humidity and temp sensors in it. I have the temp set higher (103.5) because the manual suggested this as I don’t have the egg turner so the eggs are lying on the bottom of the incubator rather than towards the top. Humidity right now is at 50% but I just took some water out so I’m hoping it will go down by tonight.

 

[casportpony]

Have you candled them yet?

 

[mshap7]

Have you candled them yet?

Yes, I know I shouldn’t but I (gently) candle them nearly every night. I’ve read a lot of people do this and it doesn’t harm the embryos. This was one egg last night at day 11.

 

[casportpony]

Just be gentle and you should be okay. How's the air cell looking?