Backwards pipping

[LynseyB88]

so taking another go round at hatching ducks, this time keuga (sp) / mallards ... It’s day 26 and I already have 1 internally pipped and it looks like multiple are trying to pip backwards.. I don’t really Want to do any intervening until atleast day 28... they are in lockdown now do you guys think? they will turn rightside up by then ? ... it’s been incredibly hot where we live could this be the reason why they are backwards?? I’ve never had so many at this stage look like they were backwards on my first hatch ... should I be worried ? I have no problem giving them a little air hole I’ve had to do that a lot with chickens and a couple on the last duck hatch but when should I give them this air hole now or wait until day 28 or longer... I hate intervening to early cause I don’t want them to die but I also don’t want them suffocating either

 

[Lil Drake40]

@WVduckchick

 

[WVduckchick]

I’m confused. How are you seeing them trying to pip backwards? What do you mean by backwards? The opposite end of the egg from the air cell?

As far as making safe holes, we usually only do this after one had been internally pipped into the air cell for 24 hours or more, just so they don’t run out of air in the air cell. Ducks can easily take 48 hours to zip from the first external pip, so day 26 pips are not at all uncommon.

Can you tell us what kind of incubator, did you incubate them upright in a turner or laying down? Are they laying down now? How have temps and humidity been throughout incubation?

 

[LynseyB88]

I’m confused. How are you seeing them trying to pip backwards? What do you mean by backwards? The opposite end of the egg from the air cell?

As far as making safe holes, we usually only do this after one had been internally pipped into the air cell for 24 hours or more, just so they don’t run out of air in the air cell. Ducks can easily take 48 hours to zip from the first external pip, so day 26 pips are not at all uncommon.

Can you tell us what kind of incubator, did you incubate them upright in a turner or laying down? Are they laying down now? How have temps and humidity been throughout incubation?

Lol okay ... first off when I candle them .. I can see the beak tapping on the air cell when the are right, what I mean by backwards is that when I candle them I can see where the membrane is pulling away from the shell and can see what looks like a beak trying to poke through the membrane on the wrong side ... usually when I’ve seen this in the past they usually pip upside down/backwards (opposite side of the air cell).... I know they take a very long time to pip and then zip I’m just asking in advance if they are Pipping internally away from the air cell ( backwards) should I saftey hole it right away?? Or wait? it seems like I’ve lost everyone that was pipped backwards last hatch cause I didn’t catch it in time and they died, my guess from suffocating ... temps have been around 100 i set the incubator at 99... but since it’s been so hot here temp in the incubator is stayin around 100. Once it got to 101... humidity has been roughly 50-60.. right now it’s staying in the 70 s ... I’m using a still air Little giant and eggs have been in automatic egg turner and I just put them in lockdown yesterday morning which was day 26... today is day 27... hope that makes more sense

 

[Pyxis]

Lol okay ... first off when I candle them .. I can see the beak tapping on the air cell when the are right, what I mean by backwards is that when I candle them I can see where the membrane is pulling away from the shell and can see what looks like a beak trying to poke through the membrane on the wrong side ... usually when I’ve seen this in the past they usually pip upside down/backwards (opposite side of the air cell).... I know they take a very long time to pip and then zip I’m just asking in advance if they are Pipping internally away from the air cell ( backwards) should I saftey hole it right away?? Or wait? it seems like I’ve lost everyone that was pipped backwards last hatch cause I didn’t catch it in time and they died, my guess from suffocating ... temps have been around 100 i set the incubator at 99... but since it’s been so hot here temp in the incubator is stayin around 100. Once it got to 101... humidity has been roughly 50-60.. right now it’s staying in the 70 s ... I’m using a still air Little giant and eggs have been in automatic egg turner and I just put them in lockdown yesterday morning which was day 26... today is day 27... hope that makes more sense

I'm a little confused too, you see a beak that looks like it's trying internally pip into the air cell on the wrong side? I'm not quite sure what you mean by that. You also mention them internally pipping away from the air cell, as in on the wrong end of the egg I think, but that's not possible because there's no air cell there and if there isn't an air cell where they are trying to pip, they cannot internally pip. It's impossible to internally pip away from the air cell.

You can't do a safety hole for ones that pip away from the air cell because there's no air cell to make a safety hole into where they pip. They have to pip externally, they can't pip internally.

Maybe a picture showing where you think they're trying to pip would help clear up confusion?

Also, your temp has been low for a still air incubator. In a still air, the temperature needs to measure 101.5 degrees at the top of the egg. So it's possible that they will be hatching late.

 

[CayugaJana]

I’m a little confused too. In my video, are they pipping up in the top of the egg, the side of the egg, or bottom of the egg by my hand?

 

[CayugaJana]

I'm a little confused too, you see a beak that looks like it's trying internally pip into the air cell on the wrong side? I'm not quite sure what you mean by that. You also mention them internally pipping away from the air cell, as in on the wrong end of the egg I think, but that's not possible because there's no air cell there and if there isn't an air cell where they are trying to pip, they cannot internally pip. It's impossible to internally pip away from the air cell.

You can't do a safety hole for ones that pip away from the air cell because there's no air cell to make a safety hole into where they pip. They have to pip externally, they can't pip internally.

Maybe a picture showing where you think they're trying to pip would help clear up confusion?

Also, your temp has been low for a still air incubator. In a still air, the temperature needs to measure 101.5 degrees at the top of the egg. So it's possible that they will be hatching late.

My brain is thinking just like yours.

 

[LynseyB88]

Lol I need to take a video or pictures and show you guys what I’m talking about... by backwards I mean away from the air cell wrong end of the egg!... you can physically see when I candle them ... the membrane is pulling away from the shell on the wrong end of the egg, not the air cell side ... and the ducks are popping through that membrane and then drowning in the gooey stuff... I was wondering if I could sort of poke a hole at that wrong end so they could get air on that side since they didn’t pip into the air sac... I actually have a Cayuga that is trying to hatch right now from the wrong end... I caught it in time and made a little hole and it’s actually breaking prices of the shell off on its own now... slow moving but you can candle the egg and the air cell is still intact and he baby is backwards away from the air cell with its little beak sticking out the wrong end ... it would have drowned if I didn’t make a little hole... cause it had no access to the air cell ... multiple ones are like that a couple already dead in the shells... cause they are trying to pip away from the air cell then drowning/suffocating

 

[LynseyB88]

I

Lol I need to take a video or pictures and show you guys what I’m talking about... by backwards I mean away from the air cell wrong end of the egg!... you can physically see when I candle them ... the membrane is pulling away from the shell on the wrong end of the egg, not the air cell side ... and the ducks are popping through that membrane and then drowning in the gooey stuff... I was wondering if I could sort of poke a hole at that wrong end so they could get air on that side since they didn’t pip into the air sac... I actually have a Cayuga that is trying to hatch right now from the wrong end... I caught it in time and made a little hole and it’s actually breaking prices of the shell off on its own now... slow moving but you can candle the egg and the air cell is still intact and he baby is backwards away from the air cell with its little beak sticking out the wrong end ... it would have drowned if I didn’t make a little hole... cause it had no access to the air cell ... multiple ones are like that a couple already dead in the shells... cause they are trying to pip away from the air cell then drowning/suffocating

ll see if I can take some pictures/video when I get home

 

[LynseyB88]

My brain is thinking just like yours.

I’ll take pics when I get home and show you... I don’t know how to clear up the confusion