Airsac and humidity

[BooBoo45]

I'm sure that this has been discussed before but I'm a first timer and I'm worrying myself sick over doing something wrong and killing the ducklings in the egg.

I've adding a wash cloth to my Brinsea incubator to keep the humidity up, that means its roughly at between 45 - 55% (never more and never less depending on when I top up the water). I candled the eggs last week and initially convinced myself they had died, they are Khaki Campbells and not easy to 'see'. I've since read that if the veins are strong (they were very clear) then even if you can't always see clear movement it is a good sign. When I watched I did eventually see movement (inexperienced and not knowing what to look for played a big part I think) but now I am worried about the air sac as it doesn't seem to be there - the egg is full of duckling at the top)

I've been working hard at keeping the washcloth wet to ensure the humidity is good but by doing that am I keeping the air sac too small? My eggs are positioned pointy end downwards as recommended and I can't see a clear air sac at the top but I can see a clear patch of light at the bottom. I thought the airsac would be at the top (logic says air rises)? I'm really confused and worrying that I've done something wrong as it says if humidity is too high the airsac won't develop. They are due to hatch in 7 days time. Am I worrying over nothing, is that how the eggs are suppose to look?

Any help and advise would be really appreciated. Thank you.

 

[cpegram]

I have never hatched duck eggs but....I have hatched many chicken eggs ....the air sac is supposed to be at the bottom. I think you are fine... I am not sure on the exact humidity for duck eggs just know it's supposed to be higher than what chicks are.

 

[BooBoo45]

Oh, thank you so much for replying. I've been so worried, my nerves are in shreds!

I didn't have a clue as to how the egg should look and had convinced myself something was very wrong, You have really put my mind at rest if that is the case - I have a good air sac developing.

Inexperience is an awful thing when let loose on the mind.

 

[charlindabob]

I have never hatched duck eggs but....I have hatched many chicken eggs ....the air sac is supposed to be at the pointy end the bottom. I think you are fine... I am not sure on the exact humidity for duck eggs just know it's supposed to be higher than what chicks are.

hmmmm.

Oh, thank you so much for replying. I've been so worried, my nerves are in shreds!

I didn't have a clue as to how the egg should look and had convinced myself something was very wrong, You have really put my mind at rest if that is the case - I have a good air sac developing.

Inexperience is an awful thing when let loose on the mind.

I am very interested in this incubation process including the humidity and the air sac. BB45, you are in your last week of incubation, right? Please keep this thread informed of your progress.

 

[cpegram]

Oh, thank you so much for replying. I've been so worried, my nerves are in shreds!

I didn't have a clue as to how the egg should look and had convinced myself something was very wrong, You have really put my mind at rest if that is the case - I have a good air sac developing.

Inexperience is an awful thing when let loose on the mind.

no problem everyone is there once

 

[BooBoo45]

They are due to hatch next Tuesday/Wednesday.

I can't bring myself to candle again for fear of what I might see or not see. I last candled 3 days ago and there was movement and veins very clearly noticeable ( I do this so quickly that I don't really allow much time to notice anything). In all I have candled a total of 3 times - roughly once a week. I have too much hope resting on them really. I should probably have found some adult ducks and left the incubating process until later when I got over the loss of my ducks but it seemed a good idea at the time to have some ducklings to take care of, something to aim for.

As I couldn't find any ducklings for sale my husband suggested we try to incubate our own. It didn't seem a big thing at the time, it was a case of me doing my best and letting nature do her job - now it feels very different, so much could go wrong. I've read so much - too much probably. I've paid close attention to the temp and the humidity but being a complete novice means I panic very quickly and think the worst. I worry over the slightest points in a degree changing, where as I'm sure a duck doesn't worry that much or that there eggs are at a totally constant temperature outside.

We started with 12 eggs, 4 of which weren't fertile. The other three did have veins but didn't develop any further after day 7, resulting in a blood ring and a tiny dot of 'black' which I am assuming is the dead embryo. The eggs were posted to me, and I've now learned that often results in the air sac detaching - hence my worries.

I know you shouldn't wish your life away, but I will be glad when this is over and hope I get at least one duckling from it.

IF I do then the following batch wouldn't be such an issue.

 

[charlindabob]

BB45, You have a great incubator, all you need is some knowledge and confidence. You are on your last week of incubation so post on day one or before of your next incubation and you can be guided through the whole process. Not necessarily by me, but there are many folks in here willing to help you to a successful hatch. You can learn about temperatures, humidity, air sacs, weights, turning, carbon dioxide, fresh air exchange and when to so it, stop turning, lockdown or not, sanitation, how to candle and what you see, and much more. I hatch in an unconventional way of sorts and some of the "old" ways are not really good, and the reasons why. Of course this is just MY opinion.

Nothing to be scared of. You get through this incubation AND hatching first, ok? Best of luck !!

 

[BooBoo45]

Thank you for the encouragement, Charlindabob, and the advise. Really wish I had found this site sooner but we are well underway now. Fingers crossed for this hatch.

 

[BooBoo45]

I candled all the eggs last night and I'm now down to 3.

I'm hoping that they will all be OK. It was very dark in the room and I got a much better look inside the egg. One had very clear movement inside although I wasn't totally sure what part of the duckling I was looking at! It also had a nice visible air sac too. Strangely this is the one egg that I have always seen movement in.

Two other eggs didn't show movement (or more likely I couldn't see it) but having read here that if they have good veins showing then they are usually alive I am assuming that is the case. They had clearly visible air sacs too. The ducklings are filling a good 3/4 of the egg now with just a small clear light showing at the bottom - with one week left I guess they will soon fill the egg totally. All three eggs look nigh on the same so I am hoping that they are all healthy and alive - just two ducklings sleeping. They are very dark in colour and I can see strong veins in all of them.

I was pretty upset about the other two but realise that as a newbie and the fact the eggs came through the post I am probably doing OK. Yesterday was a bad day, today I'm more positive. I am really learning from this, especially the candling and what I am seeing.

The eggs that I am assuming to have dead ducklings inside have a small air sac at the top and a dark brown mass - which is actually more translucent than the other 3 eggs. I can see that a duckling started to form, I can make out the shape. The lower half (50%) is completely clear and contains fluid, there are no veins showing with the one and the other has veins but it is very obvious to me they have shrunk.

At the moment I'm not sure I'd ever want to do this again. I think I'd much prefer to buy the ducklings but I couldn't locate any at the time and my garden isn't welcoming any longer, I really miss my ducks.

I am now reading up on anything to do with lockdown and hatching as I want to given them the best chance possible of hatching.

 

[charlindabob]

I candled all the eggs last night and I'm now down to 3.

I'm hoping that they will all be OK. It was very dark in the room and I got a much better look inside the egg. One had very clear movement inside although I wasn't totally sure what part of the duckling I was looking at! It also had a nice visible air sac too. Strangely this is the one egg that I have always seen movement in.

Two other eggs didn't show movement (or more likely I couldn't see it) but having read here that if they have good veins showing then they are usually alive I am assuming that is the case. They had clearly visible air sacs too. The ducklings are filling a good 3/4 of the egg now with just a small clear light showing at the bottom - with one week left I guess they will soon fill the egg totally. All three eggs look nigh on the same so I am hoping that they are all healthy and alive - just two ducklings sleeping. They are very dark in colour and I can see strong veins in all of them.

I was pretty upset about the other two but realise that as a newbie and the fact the eggs came through the post I am probably doing OK. Yesterday was a bad day, today I'm more positive. I am really learning from this, especially the candling and what I am seeing.

The eggs that I am assuming to have dead ducklings inside have a small air sac at the top and a dark brown mass - which is actually more translucent than the other 3 eggs. I can see that a duckling started to form, I can make out the shape. The lower half (50%) is completely clear and contains fluid, there are no veins showing with the one and the other has veins but it is very obvious to me they have shrunk.

At the moment I'm not sure I'd ever want to do this again. I think I'd much prefer to buy the ducklings but I couldn't locate any at the time and my garden isn't welcoming any longer, I really miss my ducks.

I am now reading up on anything to do with lockdown and hatching as I want to given them the best chance possible of hatching.

BB45, which end is the air sac in.....the pointed end or the blunt end? How many days now to hatch day?
What model Brinsea incubator do you have?