Air cell looked fined yesterday, but this morning it sorta disappeared from where it was?

[Cranberries401]

Hi all,
I have some duck eggs incubating and I believe they are due to hatch within the next few days. One of the eggs looked odd when I candled them half an hour ago. The air cell looks like it shifted? When I turn the egg while candling it, the contents moved accordingly. The egg is covered almost everywhere with thick veins. It's almost as if a membrane inside broke or something and the duck spilled into the air cell at the butt. Lil buddy was moving around in the egg when I candled it, so now I'm wondering how in the world it's gonna pip.
Basically, the egg looked very empty with lots of space at the top whichever side it's lying on and the lil duck moving around at the bottom. I have no idea if it's developed fully or not but I can see a nice little wing sticking up when I candle it. For now, I've placed the egg upright, butt-side up, is that okay?. I'm sorry I couldn't take any good pictures as I have a potato camera. If you need more descriptions, I'll do my best.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi &

When you say butt side up what do you mean? Fat end up or pointy end up? If close to hatch date I would lay the egg down on its side.

From what you have described it sounds quite normal and that the air cell has drawn down as the duckling prepares to to hatch.

Have a read of this if you get chance on water fowl incubation and the hatching process ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=491013

 

[Cranberries401]

Hi &

When you say butt side up what do you mean? Fat end up or pointy end up? If close to hatch date I would lay the egg down on its side.

From what you have described it sounds quite normal and that the air cell has drawn down as the duckling prepares to to hatch.

Have a read of this if you get chance on water fowl incubation and the hatching process ~ https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=491013

Thanks for your reply. Yeah I meant the fat end up. I laid it on its side. It pipped externally before dawn yesterday near the fat end and it's now afternoon the next day and it hasn't progressed much, just a few more cracks more. I can hear it constantly tapping its bill softly against the shell but without making anymore cracks. When I tap on the incubator, it chirps and the egg wiggles around. I should probably wait longer right? I'm just worried that it might be too weak to zip and hatch on its own. If there's no progress, after how many days from external pipping can I help it make the zip line?

I also have another egg that internally pipped three days ago. I made a tiny pin-sized hole on the second day as I was scared that it wouldn't have enough oxygen to breathe. This duckling also constantly taps softly against the shell but to no avail. Yesterday, I made two more pin-sized holes around the area where I thought it was tapping, and that night I finally saw two external pips where the holes were. For this egg, I tried to check if it had absorbed its blood vessels but the egg is entirely black, I guess it's a slightly on the bigger side. I'm wondering if the shell could be too hard for it?

 

[Cranberries401]

All is well the second egg hatched nicely. I'm just another anxious first-timer.