All advice for raising ducklings please

[Miss Lydia]

If it's been over 24 hrs since internal pip I would do a safety hole but you'll need to candle to see if the duckling has pipped into the air cell.
@New duck mommy 2021 knows more about this than I, I let my Muscovy do the hatching here.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

Yes check for internal pip
If baby had beak in air cell then make tiny safety hole
I only make as big as the pin on my tac then I leave them be
I don’t make hole any bigger until it’s time to hatch. I check the egg for veins by candling above air cell
Once I see all veins are gone I’ll make the zip and let them push out
Most times when I do make a tiny safety hole the baby ends up making their own pip

 

[junior67]

My pinhole. I finally did a perfect little hole. Now how long do I wait before doing anything else and what would next step be? I am guessing where it can now get air, hopefully enough, I wait a bit.... But 12 hrs? 24?

 

[junior67]

Yes check for internal pip
If baby had beak in air cell then make tiny safety hole
I only make as big as the pin on my tac then I leave them be
I don’t make hole any bigger until it’s time to hatch. I check the egg for veins by candling above air cell
Once I see all veins are gone I’ll make the zip and let them push out
Most times when I do make a tiny safety hole the baby ends up making their own pip

Thank you didn't see this before I posted again. The whole egg is dark so hard to see but if it gets to that time I will look closer. At least safety hole is done so I don't need to worry.

The rest when I checked before weren't even shadowing yet besides 1 and that one wasn't internally pipped yesterday morning so think everyone is good. I think last night when I looked through the incubator it was internally pipped so hopefully externally pips sometime today.

 

[junior67]

Ok ducks kill me!!!! I think I just need a life! Lol. At least 25 hrs since the first pip but could be up to 28 hrs and nothing. Chicks would be out by now. Lol. Ho hummmm.

I have to go out tonight from around 4 till 8 so you know that is when it will hatch. Lol

 

[PrettyCoolChicks]

At least safety hole is done so I don't need to worry.

Keep checking for bruises regardless! This is the one mistake I made: I had a safety hole in air cell and though I could stop worrying about it, and then I guess the chick turned (maybe my handling it confused it? XD or I was mistaken about internal pip) and it ended up bruising the side/bottom end and I didn't see it immediately, so I had to make two safety holes in the end

Also Yes <3, always reassuring to have @New duck mommy 2021 around for hatching advice! So grateful myself

 

[junior67]

Keep checking for bruises regardless! This is the one mistake I made: I had a safety hole in air cell and though I could stop worrying about it, and then I guess the chick turned (maybe my handling it confused it? XD or I was mistaken about internal pip) and it ended up bruising the side/bottom end and I didn't see it immediately, so I had to make two safety holes in the end

Also Yes <3, always reassuring to have @New duck mommy 2021 around for hatching advice! So grateful myself

I do keep looking at them all. Like every hour. . So hopefully I don't miss any bruising

 

[junior67]

Finally!!!!!! And that is the area I thought I saw it's bill too.

No ducklings while I was gone. Just this one pipped and 1 chicken egg pipped.

 

[junior67]

Ugh at least 33 hrs since the first pip. This is sooo hard!!!! I am getting soooo nervous but keep reminding myself that they can take 48 hrs..... Thinking the chicken egg that just pipped my hatch before any of the ducklings. Lol. How do people do this all the time????

Hopefully all is fine but if no duckling by 11 am tomorrow do I candle for veins then assist??? I checked a bit before 8am yesterday and nothing, got home and had a pip at 11. So latest it pipped was 11 am yesterday.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@New duck mommy 2021