anybody in lockdown?

[TXTiffany]

I am not seeing any movement or external pipping yet. Does anyone know how long after they make a internal pip that they make the external pip?

@ Ali- Fingers crossed for the egg

 

[Alitown4]

@Tiffany - Good Luck! So glad you are seeing something happening! What day are your eggs on now?

This is what I noticed with my hatch: I went into lockdown at 25 days - candled with no internal pip but I thought air cells looked pretty good. Saw egg movement on day 26. On day 27 I noticed external pipping on egg #1 around 10:30 AM and that egg hatched on day 28 around 8:00-8:15AM. On egg #2 I noticed external pip in the afternoon of day 27 and it hatched around 8:30AM on day 28. On egg #3 that I'm currently watching: Day 28 at 9:30 PM candled and saw internal pip and then this AM day 29 I saw a small external pip that started about 8:30 this AM. To recap: I'm hatching Indian Runners and read they generally incubate for 28 1/2 days. I do feel my temp was steady for the most part but did note that I would get high temp spikes on some afternoons. I didn't have a hydrometer with this hatch but for the most part incubated with water in the reservoir until day 21 when I noticed small air cells and then drained out the water on day 22 and incubated dry to day 25 when I filled reservoirs before going into lockdown. I added more water last night as the reservoirs went dry. I am learning so much and hope to make improvement to better hatch rate next time!

 

[Alitown4]

@ Tiffany - One more thing that might be interesting to you... My first egg to externally pip I didn't see any movement at all and was totally surprised to see the external pip. The second egg had a lot of movement before externally pipping and hatched a little faster than egg #1. On this egg...no movement to very slight movements before I candled and saw what I think was the internal pip at 9:30 PM on day 28. Now today still slight movements and it will move in reaction to my voice. Hope this helps a little. Wish I knew more but I'm a first timer

 

[TXTiffany]

So it sounds to me like another 48 hours before I have any babies. Thanks for letting me know. I have to leave to go out of town on Wed.

This is my first hatch as well, and I really wanted to be here when they hatched. This is day 30. I did just go and take a look in the bator and 3 of the 5 eggs have movement. I still dont hear anything though. Were any of you able to hear anything before the external pip??

 

[Alitown4]

Yes, I was able to hear them...but the current egg I'm watching I don't hear anything yet and it has an external pip. This baby seems really slow and I understand that ducks tend slow hatchers. Sorry you have to be out of town. Hopefully things will speed up with your hatch!

 

[TXTiffany]

Did you have to put your ear to the bator to hear it or was it pretty loud?

 

[Kricket638]

One has but nothing since. I did candle them and they are working at hatching. Won't be long Tiffany you will be a duck mama! Ali I have learned they rest quite often. If there was a shadow they are still working at internally piping.give another day or two. Talk or sing to often I found it to keep them motivated. Crazy I know. Also after they hatch they will recognize your voice and bond or imprint even more with you. You both are in my thoughts. Got my fingers and toes crossed. Keep updating!

 

[Kricket638]

i had to putm y ear up to the bator to hear mine.

 

[Alitown4]

Yes, I had to get up close to the bator to hear mine as well. I have noticed the two ducklings that have hatched are really attached to us...if we leave the room they cry for us and seem to be comforted by our voices (well...not the voice of my three year old!) I'm really curious if these duckling will grow to be friendly ducks? The Indian Runners that I have are not friendly...when we are out with them they are at the opposite side of the pen...but we didn't raise them from ducklings. So different than our chickens who run to us and almost attack they love us so much...it scares people who don't know them

 

[Kricket638]

Number nine is hatching!! I bet they will be more attached to you ali! I didn't raise my adult ducks either. They are friendly but not overly. Ali I didn't use a hydrometer at all. I just did it on the fly. I never expected such a good hatch. I guess because I read that humidty was a huge factor. Now my humidty did go up after some of the duckies hatched. I suspect that's why I had to help a few out .