Against all odds...a second chance at life. *They've Pipped!*

[giasmom]

Quote:
This actually happened to me, same situation same breed of duck. I stopped turning mine and upped humidity when the eggs were completely dark inside when candled. It ended up being like 3 days earlier than it was suppose to be but that late in incubation with the ducklings moving around, it's not a big deal.
I had 10 and 10 hatched so I was pleased with the results and the Mallard babies are sooo cute. But they are also sooo different from my muscovy and rouen ducklings. Very fast and a bit nasty. But I suppose they have to be to grow up safley in the wild.

Good luck with the eggs.

BTW somebody mentioned, who knows if ducks turn their eggs 3-5 times a day. I read a study and they turn/shift their eggs 90+_times a day. Bust mommas!

Thanks for your input, I was really wanting to know the answer.

 

[LilDucky85]

I attempted to candle my eggs today and they were so dark. I tried 2 flashlights thinking the first ones batteries were dying. My little key chain one works great and didn't even work today. I could hardly see anything. I could see movement in all of them although it took some patience to see. I was kind of upset because I took series of pictures and videos with my last eggs during their development and didn't get a single candling picture this time ((See my BYC page for these)). I tried to take some today but you can hardly see anything. Bummer. I dont remember such a sudden change with my last eggs going from visable to not?

 

[Mahonri]

Well, how far along do you think they were... how much time do you think you have remaining?

 

[LilDucky85]

When I first got them May 23 they seemed to be about 5 or 6 days into incubation. There was good veining, and a noticeable bouncing embryo. I just realized I have no clue how many days they are... with my last batch I used to count day by day. So I guess they would be like day 17 today?

My last set of eggs started coming on Easter, April 12 and werent due until April 16.

 

[LilDucky85]

One pipped late last night, and I woke up this morning to find a second one pipping too!! All are internally pipped except for the twin egg. I hear chirping in the first pipped egg! Wish them luck!

 

[walkswithdog]

Go Ducks!!!!

 

[gocrow77]

You must be the incubation/hatching MASTER!!! Go duckies!! Good luck on your twin egg.

 

[zowieyellowflame]

Go twins!

 

[LilDucky85]

Two are out, and one to go! The third is almost out of the shell! One had just started to zipp today and when I checked it was out and so was the other who zipped last night! They are quietly resting together on the side of the incubator. They are so small and beautiful! My runner and pekins were so much bigger!! Im a little nervous with them because Im used to yellow fluffy ducks, these look so serious! The third that isnt out yet was the first to pip, and is just kinda hanging out in the shell. I see some tiny veins on the membrane so Im not touching it.

Sadly the twin egg wasn't a twin but had an unusual extra growth and died. The other that died had a malformed waved beak, and also didn't make it. I've always heard chicks, ducks, etc. do not make it out of the shell for a reason, in this case it was 100% true.

 

[lem47]

Hi,Just wanted you to know,I raised a group of the wild mallards with a brooder hen,they all hatched,however you must have water for them to go in after a couple of days or so because they have to clean theirself of certian bugs that wild ducks have..Hope you dont mind me butting in,,sue