call duck eggs. *UPDATE* New pic last post

[Skittlez]

A fox came and killed my call flock. 7 adults. 2 hens were brooding 27 eggs between the 2 of them. All the eggs but 12 were destroyed also. 8 are still growing in the incubator. I marked the air cells at todays candle. My problem is, I did not mark the date the broodies started to sit on their eggs. I was letting them do their job and didn't candle or check their eggs untill after the attack. I honestly do not know how old these eggs are and when they are due.

Can anyone guess about how far along they are by the size of the air cell? The babies are taking up 50% of the shell. One egg has a huge air sac, the others are about the same size. I do know one nest was about a week older than the other. I was so upset by what I found that morning, I didn't even mark what egg came from what nest. I am guessing they are around day 18-20, but I really don't know.

I know nobody can tell me an exact age, maybe just a good guess? Thank you in advance!

The 8 eggs left

This one has the huge air cell

One egg is a lot smaller than the others, but duckling is moving and growing like the rest.


I have not incubated duck eggs before, I am wingin it at the moment. Temp is 99.5, humidity at 53%, forced air incubator, turning 3 times a day now (was 2). I was not cooling them, but am now for 15 min. I am not misting yet. Should I start, are the air cells too small?


*UPDATE*
It is now 6 days later and the air cells have grown in all the eggs but 2. Those 2 eggs are about a week younger. I added a new picture. Am I still on track? Should I put these in lockdown now and stop turning? Will the higher humidity effect the 2 eggs that are a little behind? I do have 2 broodies I could give those 2 eggs to.

pic taken today 6/13

Thank you for everyones help so far.

 

[debilorrah]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=261876

This thread shows almost day by day - chicken eggs, but they are about the same.

 

[Skittlez]

Thanks for the link. I have studied the pics. I didn't realize duck eggs would match the timeline, but I guess call are a shorter duration. I am guessing day 15ish. My air cells look too small for day 15, but maybe the next few days they will expand.

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
Calls are 24 days, I believe, so I would look at pics at day 17ish.

 

[Skittlez]

debiraymond
Today 11:26 pmSkittlez wrote:
Thanks for the link. I have studied the pics. I didn't realize duck eggs would match the timeline, but I guess call are a shorter duration. I am guessing day 15ish. My air cells look too small for day 15, but maybe the next few days they will expand.
Calls are 24 days, I believe, so I would look at pics at day 17ish.

So if my embryo looks like a chick embryo on day 14-15, Then I should guess around day 17-18. That does make sense. The chick embryo at day 17 has more mass filling the egg than mine. So that gives me roughly 7 days. This is a little nerve racking, trying to guess the age of eggs, I sure like my broodies. I do have a first time broody silkie, but she can't even keep her 2 eggs covered, or else I would have let her try them for a while.

Thank your for your help.​

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
So if my embryo looks like a chick embryo on day 14-15, Then I should guess around day 17-18. That does make sense. The chick embryo at day 17 has more mass filling the egg than mine. So that gives me roughly 7 days. This is a little nerve racking, trying to guess the age of eggs, I sure like my broodies. I do have a first time broody silkie, but she can't even keep her 2 eggs covered, or else I would have let her try them for a while.

Thank your for your help.

From the size of you air cells they seem to be ok. I actually have rotten luck hatching ducks because I live in the desert and do not have a swamp cooler. Yours seem to be doing fine. I have managed about a 30% hatch rate with ducks. I encourage you to not bump the humidity much higher. When I lowered it, I had a better hatch. Weird.

 

[Skittlez]

From the size of you air cells they seem to be ok. I actually have rotten luck hatching ducks because I live in the desert and do not have a swamp cooler. Yours seem to be doing fine. I have managed about a 30% hatch rate with ducks. I encourage you to not bump the humidity much higher. When I lowered it, I had a better hatch. Weird.

I'm glad the air cell looks ok. I have heard the calls are difficult anyway. Here the weather has been hot and humid. I had to take all 4 plugs out to lower the humidity some. No air conditioner for me either. This is my first duck hatch and I was worried I wasn't on track.​

 

[Sweetfolly]

Quote:
Calls are 24 days, I believe, so I would look at pics at day 17ish.

Calls are around 26-27 days, but I've had them go to 28.

A good rule of thumb is to put them into lockdown 3 days earlier than you would with a large-breed duck egg.

 

[Skittlez]

Sweetfolly
Today 1:20 amdebiraymond wrote:
Skittlez wrote:
Thanks for the link. I have studied the pics. I didn't realize duck eggs would match the timeline, but I guess call are a shorter duration. I am guessing day 15ish. My air cells look too small for day 15, but maybe the next few days they will expand.
Calls are 24 days, I believe, so I would look at pics at day 17ish.
Calls are around 26-27 days, but I've had them go to 28. A good rule of thumb is to put them into lockdown 3 days earlier than you would with a large-breed duck egg.

Thanks for the info. I will give them another 6 days or so then I will try lockdown. You mentioned on the call duck thread about sloping air cells, and I have one egg that has a large sloping air cell. Does that mean it has been damaged? Should I do something different with that egg?​

 

[MommaOrp]

I'd say those little eggys have about a week left, before you stop rotation that is. Best of luck