Call Duck Eggs - Confused...

[Liza728w]

Today is day 28.

One egg has hatched. It had multiple complications and desperately needed help out of the egg. She/he is completely fine now and healthy. Out of the egg since yesterday! Yay!

All 4 of the other ducklings in the eggs have been trying to break through for 2 days now.. I can feel their egg tooth tapping the shell. One has pipped right along the air sack (great!) But all of them have slowed down. Also, for the one that has pipped through, it's been 24 hours and no progress.

What would you do? I guess my questions are....

1. Do you think the eggs just need more time? What about the one that already pipped through 24 hours ago?
2. I keep having to open the incubator and its been a rough couple of days for the one duckling that survived. Is this okay? Will it harm the other eggs?

The duckling that has hatched and is doing great now had some complications. She pipped the wrong end of the egg, didnt have any progress for 30-35 hours after her initial pip, and started to get shrink wrapped. We got her 1/2 way out of the egg when we realized her yolk wasnt absorbed all the way. So, she was put in a cup overnight and she, overnight, climbed out of the egg and since then reabsorbed the yolk. She is happy and healthy now.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

You need to assist call ducks most of the time or they will die in the shell. One may have gotten out but don't expect the rest to.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

 

[Liza728w]

You need to assist call ducks most of the time or they will die in the shell. One may have gotten out but don't expect the rest to.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

Oh gosh, you're right. Every hatching article I've found online stressed a ton to WAIT before intervention. Wow. Not true for calls! Two died in their shell, one has yet to internally pip and is still working on it. Opened up the one with the external pip and shes alive. Going to help her out of her shell the rest of the way if she doesnt make it out by herself very soon. Thank you for saving at least one of my babies. I did a ton of research honestly and not one site told me that they may die in their shell so easily. Maybe I was looking in the wrong places.

I'm afraid this baby that hasn't internally pipped yet may try to pip at the wrong end of the egg like the one I hatched out and one of the ones that died in the shell. Do you know what you'd do? I can't locate the beak.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

I had two that pipped in the wrong end my last big hatch. One call had pipped so I opened it up further about the size of a quarter so it could breathe and get out when it was ready. The other one hadn't pipped but by candling I could tell where it's beak was. I opened it up from there. I pushed the membrane away from the beak so it could breathe and opened it the size of a quarter. Both are alive and both pushed out on their own. After a while sometimes I pull the head out because I left one in too long and it had a messed up neck so I had to put it down.
Call duck hatching is different than regular hatching. My call hens have been successfully hatching all of their own fertile eggs, so maybe try to let your hen hatch them in the future.

 

[Liza728w]

I had two that pipped in the wrong end my last big hatch. One call had pipped so I opened it up further about the size of a quarter so it could breathe and get out when it was ready. The other one hadn't pipped but by candling I could tell where it's beak was. I opened it up from there. I pushed the membrane away from the beak so it could breathe and opened it the size of a quarter. Both are alive and both pushed out on their own. After a while sometimes I pull the head out because I left one in too long and it had a messed up neck so I had to put it down.
Call duck hatching is different than regular hatching. My call hens have been successfully hatching all of their own fertile eggs, so maybe try to let your hen hatch them in the future.

Thanks SO much! All of the babies are out now! 5 made it to the stage where they were trying to get out. 1 gave up before internal pip, 1 pipped under the egg between the egg and the "ground" and I didn't see it in time, and the other 3 I had to assist half way. All three have kicked out of the eggs now! So far very healthy and already trying to bite me. I'm really hoping they all make it!

This is my first time hatching eggs by myself. I bought them off of ebay. I'm lucky to have had 3 hatch. Some people don't get ANY to hatch! I had no clue how much assistance these little guys needed. I knew maybe some amount, but I have yet to find a thorough hatching article on specifically calls so I really had no idea. Again, thank you!