ADVICE NEEDED - ducklings!

[Wolflady2223]

I have 2 broody Indian runners who on April 27th had about 4 eggs total if memory serves. They were sitting on the eggs at this point, all day as far as I'm aware. A few day's later I got a chance to peek in the nest and there were 18 between the two. All were candled shortly after and deemed fertile.I started counting days on the 27th which would put 28 days at May 25th. They still have not hatched. Two of them ended up dying in the egg and another one looks like it might be too. There are several as of last night (day 30) that look like about 1/3 of the egg is the slanty air cell with potential movement that look like they have some strong veins visible and they look alive. What should I be doing at this point?? Should I actually consider today day 31? How much longer should I wait before taking the eggs away??

 

[smonkeySK]

It could be a couple of days past seeing movement and hearing chirping from inside before they start to break out.
It's a tough time but I would try to let nature run its course.

It could be low moisture levels or it could be something else.
My first duck to go broody this year sat on 16 eggs for 25 days then decided bugger it.
I checked the eggs and only 3 of them had any development whatsoever:
1 was days from hatching and 2 were still several weeks off.
Everyone had been laying in or around her nest and none of us did a good job of keeping things under control!

 

[Wolflady2223]

Thanks for the advice. I am just worried it's been too long in general. Do they have a way of delaying incubation, even while sitting on the eggs? They started sitting with the first 4 and to my knowledge continued up until now without any breaks. So is there any other reason my count would be off? Is it normal for them to be late?

 

[smonkeySK]

You say you started with 4, but it sounds like the clutch is larger than that now correct?
If so then you don't know when each egg will pip due to not knowing when they were layed.
The only way round this is marking all the eggs with a wax pencil as they are layed so you know when each is due!

Once you get to day 20 or so, the egg will be a third air and aging at this point becomes impossible as far as I can tell.
You then have to wait till they break the air sack and start the yolk sac absorption before you can really tell what's going on.

 

[smonkeySK]

I know of people helping the babies out of their shells but it isn't something I'd recommend as it can easily kill if they aren't ready or if it is done wrong

 

[Wolflady2223]

I was under the impression that the mom usually wait s to incubate until the whole clutch was laid so they hatch together. That's why I was unsure of when they would hatch.....together or separately

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

They should all hatch together, or within a day or so of each other. Some breeders remove late hatching eggs, as that could be a genetic trait that you don't want passed on to subsequent generations. But since this is a first hatch, I would leave the eggs until Day 35, then personally I would pull them at that point. I agree, the final week is very difficult to see what's going on, just keep in mind that you still should see that air cell growing larger every day.

 

[Wolflady2223]

Thanks, Holly!!!! I'll see how it turns out

 

[Wolflady2223]

Thanks for all the advice!! They are HATCHING as we speak. I am overjoyed and can barely contain myself lol

 

[smonkeySK]

Excellent- only another days worry about eggs; then you can start worrying about the nippers for a few weeks!

Don't forget the pics