Airsac and humidity

[Speceider]

One thing I pay attention to is the ambient temp and humidity. This time of year, with cold temps results in very low humidity in the house so I need to add Eyre. Here in Louisiana, by late April temps and associated humidity is high enough that added water hurts the hatch.

Clint

 

[BooBoo45]

Thanks for the advice Clint, I honestly think my biggest mistake was reading the manual - that told me humidity should be between 45 - 55 and I know now that is wrong. I've watched the temp and humidity like a hawk and the incubator is in a room with the radiator turned down very low to ensure I get as constant an environment I can get.

Inexperience and not having any help until now, I am trying to remain hopeful that the remaining ducklings will hatch and I've taken Bob's advice to given then the best chance but the worst part now is having to wait.

If I do this again then I will be asking for help before I even start out.

 

[BooBoo45]

Sorry for the late reply, Zombified, I missed your post as we changed pages.

It's very fortuitous for me to read this now, today is day 25 and I have locked down and started fretting because regardless of the added wash cloths and the little pots of water I can't get much above 58 % humidity. I have worried all day and if I add warm water to the pots it will go up to 60% but then comes down again. I know I can't keep opening the incubator to change it so really it now has to be what it is. Saying that there is a good lot of condensation on the plastic screen.

The air sac's were nicely formed when I candled and look like the text book pics. I have taken Bob's advice so hopefully that will help the hatch. When I put them on their sides with the X on top all three of the eggs moved by themselves very slightly for a little while (not rolling, but like the ducklings were thinking - the world has moved, what's going on here? I'll just get comfortable again)

I took that as a good sign, they were all alive. Since then I've not seen any more movement but I didn't expect it either as there are another 3 days left yet and I imagine they are resting up for the great escape.

I have done my best and if this is meant to be then that will be all that is needed, I just have to accept it for what it is now. The instinct to live is a strong one, no more so right now as they prepare to hatch. I gave them a little pet talk and told them I had done everything I could and I really wanted them in our lives but the next part was now going to be down to them. If anyone could see me they'd think I was mad talking to these eggs but I have done all the way through - or that I'm quarkers!

Something else happened this weekend too - next door have chickens and one of their bantams used to fly over the fence into their garden and then into ours to be with our ducks. After they were killed she stopped coming over and that just added to the emptiness we are experiencing. Yesterday she was back again, she spent the whole day with my husband in the garden talking to him and scratching around as he built a new pen. She was back today too, and what with her visiting and a bit of sunshine it has lifted my mood.

She's not mine of course and our neighbour doesn't name them although he cares a great deal for them, but we call her Myrtle McCluck. Hopefully given time she will have some new friends too.

 

[BooBoo45]

OK, I can't believe this but I can see a slight crack in the egg. It is only day 25, or possibly day 26 depending on how you look at this (I set the eggs at 4.20pm) and it looks like middle egg is starting to hatch.

It's definitely in the airsac area and I can see a very slight crack. I am so scared, I know this is too early and I will probably lose the duckling. I have to hope now that baby takes a lot longer to get out otherwise the egg sac is still going to be attached. I'm looking through the incubator btw, I have not opened it at all.

Egg number one is starting to wobble a lot more too.

 

[charlindabob]

Hey, don't leave us hanging!!!!! What happened?......

 

[BooBoo45]

Hi Bob

We're still working on it! Well the ducklings are, I'm cheering them on from the other side of the incubator.

Bit of back ground, I set the eggs at 4.20pm on the 12th Feb, so I counted Day 1 as 13th Feb at 4.20pm - hope that is correct.

I locked down yesterday afternoon, which was day 25 and nearly had kittens when I saw this in the evening -



I panicked thinking the duckling was about to hatch, all the horror of the egg sac in my mind. I still have a lot to learn!

So this evening is day 26 and we have the following:

Egg no.2 (above) has been working hard all day and although it is hard to see through the plastic I can see that the pip is bigger but he has moved down further to the front of the egg, which is cracking now too.

Egg No 1 pipped today, a small crack higher up but she has been really hammering away. It is hard to see but I think she has started a lot lower down now. Both eggs are pretty active and then go quiet for a while. It looks like there are small pimples rising out of the egg in a cluster of one place, I am assuming that is where she is hammering away.

That leaves Egg no. 3. which seems to be doing nothing much at all from what I can see. Although I needed to top the water up and when I did that and put the lid back on a little while later he started to move around. But that has stopped since, I don't now if he has even internally pipped yet. It is almost as if the other two are further on than he is, but when he did move the egg really rocked. I did wonder if he had died but he put that right out of my mind, he just isn't ready just yet and is more in line with what I was expecting.

I have not opened the incubator much, once in 6 hours to top the water up at the start and a lot longer than that as the humidity seems to hold better now. I really have left it alone and watched from outside. The humidity is 60/62 and there is a lot of condensation so I have to take it as being right. I'm of course worrying they won't get out, but I've worried all the way through and they have managed by themselves.

Day 28 is actually Wednesday evening so we still have a way to go, just these 2 appear to be early and No. 3 late. My neighbour who lent me the incubator said that he's had that happen himself, one of the eggs was two days after the others but never this early. I was worried about that but I have come to the conclusion that just like babies they come in their own time and won't be rushed. Just have to wait and see.

 

[BooBoo45]

Well I am proud to announce the arrival of two beautiful Khaki Campbell ducklings. It was a race to see which hatched first in the end but Pip 'pipped' Pumpkin to the post. They are early, this is only Day 27 but it was a text book hatch. I did end up helping Pumpkin a tad right at the very end - she came out bottom first with her head and legs inside and after 30 minutes of her fighting and shouting I made the decision to just flip off a very tiny bit of egg shell as the hole she made was quite small and her bum fitted most of it! When she was fighting to escape all the effort was just making her wiggle her bottom. I didn't touch the membrane underneath but it was clear and like paper. After another really hard push by her that ripped a bit more and she slowly released herself from the egg.

A bit before this, the third egg that I have called Scramble from day 1 decided it was time to pip externally, he's done nothing much that I can see for days. I think the sound of hatching got him excited. If he follows them then he will rest up now and start to hatch tomorrow - day 28! I'm not too worried at the moment, he appears to be spot on the mark. The humidity changed a bit during the hatch and I have put a wash cloth between him and his siblings, who are happily drying out. I know that ducks and chicks can hatch at different times and actually he is doing what I originally expected them too. When he broke out he didn't make a tiny crack like the others hard that you struggled to see to start with, but pushed a really good hole so he has a good air supply now. Humidity of 60% worked well for them so I'm not changing a thing or panicking that it wasn't 65 anymore! he tapped away for a while after he pipped but he must have worked very hard to make such a crack.

In fact this has to be one of the most amazing experiences in my life. It was fascinating to watch and I recorded it all so my family won't miss out. I got very emotional at times but I guess that is normal too. I was hoping their chirping in the incubator might encourage him to carry on again after a nap but he is determined to stick to the script and having none of it. Either way he has the same chance as they had and I know not to try and help him out, he appears to know exactly what he is doing and who am I to argue with that? He's resting ready for the great escape. There is a good chance that he hasn't long pipped internally too so hardly surprising he is a little worn out.

Both babies are now cuddled up together resting on a wash cloth, they have also had a dabble at the condensation on the screen of the incubator too. They are drying out nicely and I will move them to the brooder later this evening and then ensure the humidity is OK and wait and see what happens over the next few days with the last egg.

Thank you so much to those that have taken the time to comment and encourage me it really did help. I would especially like to thank Bob (Charlindabob) who helped me out when I was really panicking and didn't mind the silly questions I sometimes asked, I genuinely feel your advise eased their hatching. Thank you too to Shannondee12, your words really did touch me and I took them to heart, they have held me in good stead.

Hopefully later on I will be able to finish up with some photos of the duckling and their sibling when he comes to join them, but more than anything I am no longer living in a duckless house. All the sadness and heartache that the last 6 weeks brought me has today came to an end. I have ducks again and life sure does feel good.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well I am proud to announce the arrival of two beautiful Khaki Campbell ducklings. It was a race to see which hatched first in the end but Pip 'pipped' Pumpkin to the post. They are early, this is only Day 27 but it was a text book hatch. I did end up helping Pumpkin a tad right at the very end - she came out bottom first with her head and legs inside and after 30 minutes of her fighting and shouting I made the decision to just flip off a very tiny bit of egg shell as the hole she made was quite small and her bum fitted most of it! When she was fighting to escape all the effort was just making her wiggle her bottom. I didn't touch the membrane underneath but it was clear and like paper. After another really hard push by her that ripped a bit more and she slowly released herself from the egg.

A bit before this, the third egg that I have called Scramble from day 1 decided it was time to pip externally, he's done nothing much that I can see for days. I think the sound of hatching got him excited. If he follows them then he will rest up now and start to hatch tomorrow - day 28! I'm not too worried at the moment, he appears to be spot on the mark. The humidity changed a bit during the hatch and I have put a wash cloth between him and his siblings, who are happily drying out. I know that ducks and chicks can hatch at different times and actually he is doing what I originally expected them too. When he broke out he didn't make a tiny crack like the others hard that you struggled to see to start with, but pushed a really good hole so he has a good air supply now. Humidity of 60% worked well for them so I'm not changing a thing or panicking that it wasn't 65 anymore! he tapped away for a while after he pipped but he must have worked very hard to make such a crack.

In fact this has to be one of the most amazing experiences in my life. It was fascinating to watch and I recorded it all so my family won't miss out. I got very emotional at times but I guess that is normal too. I was hoping their chirping in the incubator might encourage him to carry on again after a nap but he is determined to stick to the script and having none of it. Either way he has the same chance as they had and I know not to try and help him out, he appears to know exactly what he is doing and who am I to argue with that? He's resting ready for the great escape. There is a good chance that he hasn't long pipped internally too so hardly surprising he is a little worn out.

Both babies are now cuddled up together resting on a wash cloth, they have also had a dabble at the condensation on the screen of the incubator too. They are drying out nicely and I will move them to the brooder later this evening and then ensure the humidity is OK and wait and see what happens over the next few days with the last egg.

Thank you so much to those that have taken the time to comment and encourage me it really did help. I would especially like to thank Bob (Charlindabob) who helped me out when I was really panicking and didn't mind the silly questions I sometimes asked, I genuinely feel your advise eased their hatching. Thank you too to Shannondee12, your words really did touch me and I took them to heart, they have held me in good stead.

Hopefully later on I will be able to finish up with some photos of the duckling and their sibling when he comes to join them, but more than anything I am no longer living in a duckless house. All the sadness and heartache that the last 6 weeks brought me has today came to an end. I have ducks again and life sure does feel good.

Congratulations!!! look forward to seeing pics once they are all out and fluffed.

 

[charlindabob]

Well BB45, you are a proud mama for sure! Congratulations! I am so happy for you.

My 14 Embden goose eggs were removed from my incubator and blown out last night. I didn't expect them to be fertile, so it wasn't that upsetting for me. I just added the blown eggs to the other several dozen I have.

Now my Muscovy eggs are a different story. They were only 5-6 days in the 'bator and I believe there are some veins ever so slightly showing. They are six of the very first eggs from ducks I hatched last year. I added another 7 the other day and they are probably viable too.

Looking forward to seeing pictures of the K/C ducklings. I had a couple dozen of those egg laying machines (K/C ducks), but got rid of them due to the noise, they never shut up!

Bob

 

[charlindabob]

Well BB45, you are a proud mama for sure! Congratulations! I am so happy for you.

My 14 Embden goose eggs were removed from my incubator and blown out last night. I didn't expect them to be fertile, so it wasn't that upsetting for me. I just added the blown eggs to the other several dozen I have.

Now my Muscovy eggs are a different story. They were only 5-6 days in the 'bator and I believe there are some veins ever so slightly showing. They are six of the very first eggs from ducks I hatched last year. I added another 7 the other day and they are probably viable too.

Looking forward to seeing pictures of the K/C ducklings. I had a couple dozen of those egg laying machines (K/C ducks), but got rid of them due to the noise, they never shut up!....

Bob