Air sack question.

[Fisherlmiranda]

I'm on day 23 of my duck eggs. I've been running my humidity between 50 and 60%. I'm using a homemade incubator. Temp is about 101. I let the eggs cool for 15minutes and spray them with water 1 time a day. And turn them 3 times. I believe my air sack is to small. Advice please, and thank you.

 

[Pyxis]

Yes, that is too small for day 23 Your humidity has been too high. You will need to lower it immediately - I would run it totally dry until your first internal pip to try to get them to lose moisture. Continue the misting since that also helps them lose moisture, but make sure no water pools under the eggs in the incubator after misting; that would increase the humidity which we want to avoid.

 

[Fisherlmiranda]

Yes, that is too small for day 23 Your humidity has been too high. You will need to lower it immediately - I would run it totally dry until your first internal pip to try to get them to lose moisture. Continue the misting since that also helps them lose moisture, but make sure no water pools under the eggs in the incubator after misting; that would increase the humidity which we want to avoid.

Ok, I took all the water out before posting this as I read that was the reason. What if the air sac doesn't get big enough before the first pip?

 

[Pyxis]

Ok, I took all the water out before posting this as I read that was the reason. What if the air sac doesn't get big enough before the first pip?

Well, the hope is that it does, because the air cell being too small can cause them to drown

 

[Fisherlmiranda]

Well, the hope is that it does, because the air cell being too small can cause them to drown

What about a safety hole? If the air sack doesn't get big enough. And what humidity do I run at after the pip?

 

[Pyxis]

What about a safety hole? If the air sack doesn't get big enough. And what humidity do I run at after the pip?

A safety hole will work if they are able to internally pip, but if they aren't then the safety hole won't help. Also, the excess fluid can leak into the air cell after they pip, where they inhale it and drown, and the safety hole wouldn't prevent that either. So it's important that we try to get them to lose that moisture.

After internal pip, I'd bring it up to 65%.

 

[Fisherlmiranda]

Is there anything else that I can do to get the moisture out like rice, haha I dont know I'm just racking my brain. I've lost so many eggs this is getting frustrating. Is there a way to keep the air cell from filling up with liquid like placing the egg pointy side down so the air cell is on top?

 

[Pyxis]

Is there anything else that I can do to get the moisture out like rice, haha I dont know I'm just racking my brain. I've lost so many eggs this is getting frustrating. Is there a way to keep the air cell from filling up with liquid like placing the egg pointy side down so the air cell is on top?

If they don't get much bigger I'd definitely try hatching them upright to try to keep the liquid out of the air cell. With all the water gone, what's the humidity at?

 

[Fisherlmiranda]

If they don't get much bigger I'd definitely try hatching them upright to try to keep the liquid out of the air cell. With all the water gone, what's the humidity at?

It's at 11%

 

[Fisherlmiranda]

The air cell has grown 2mm pass my mark.