Call duck hatching newbie

[RafterB_ranch]

No but it's very close. Probably tomorrow.

Safety hole now or tomorrow?

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Safety hole now or tomorrow?

After you've confirmed it's internally pipped.
Listen for peeping

 

[RafterB_ranch]

You can try to make a safety hole where the bruise is but it may be too late.

Confirmed pipped on the wrong side, opened up shell and beak is right at the bruise, and did not make it.
Damn I thought I was good for not checking too frequently but I guess that’s how it goes. Have 5 starting to pip on the correct side now, trying to decide if I want safety hole now or tomorrow morning.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Confirmed pipped on the wrong side, opened up shell and beak is right at the bruise, and did not make it.
Damn I thought I was good for not checking too frequently but I guess that’s how it goes. Have 5 starting to pip on the correct side now, trying to decide if I want safety hole now or tomorrow morning.

Are these your own eggs or did you get them from someone?
Do you have any idea what the experience has been with eggs from the same hens? It may not be necessary but
for mine personally I just go ahead and do a safety hole as soon as they are internally pipped. I don't believe it hurts a thing to error on the side of caution with the safety holes, after that I would wait a good 18 hours or more before going any further.

 

[RafterB_ranch]

Are these your own eggs or did you get them from someone?
Do you have any idea what the experience has been with eggs from the same hens? It may not be necessary but
for mine personally I just go ahead and do a safety hole as soon as they are internally pipped. I don't believe it hurts a thing to error on the side of caution with the safety holes, after that I would wait a good 18 hours or more before going any further.

From a breeder close by, drove to get the eggs so not shipped. She has never had success hatching her eggs but I don’t think she’s tried that hard. My humidity is cranked so safety hole shouldn’t hurt anything tonight. Already sucks that one has died due to mis-pipping so don’t want to risk any others overnight trying to zip themselves and getting stuck.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

From a breeder close by, drove to get the eggs so not shipped. She has never had success hatching her eggs but I don’t think she’s tried that hard. My humidity is cranked so safety hole shouldn’t hurt anything tonight. Already sucks that one has died due to mis-pipping so don’t want to risk any others overnight trying to zip themselves and getting stuck.

I use a tiny little drill bit.
A tiny hole will not hurt a thing.

 

[RafterB_ranch]

Duck update: all 8 remaining are still alive!
2 (far left) ducks have fully internally pipped and are peepingand yawning (see video).
2 have started internal pipping but bills aren’t wiggling around in the air sack yet (can hear clicking but no peeping)
2 are pushing up on the membrane but haven’t internally pipped (no clicking no peeping)
2 (far right) haven’t started to pip but are active in the shell.
they are in stages by the row that they incubated in so I’m guessing there was a temperature gradient that put the far right eggs behind in development.

so far I’m in a happy holding phase waiting for them to absorb and detach veins! I don’t think I will think about assisting to hatch the two that are furthest along until tomorrow evening (48 hours passed since internal pipping). All eggs will be getting safety holes once I see they internally pip for my peace of mind.

https://imgur.com/a/8JpvaCh

 

[RafterB_ranch]

Glad I set my alarm for 4 am! Assisted just slightly (chipped away extra shell but not membrane) as the zip was going well but their wing was stuck in the safety hole (large hole created as per conversation with a successful call duck breeder).

 

[Luv Ducks]

I have found that if I leave the eggs alone during the lockdown period they do good. Mine were in a homemade incubator consisting of a styro foam cooler that costs two dollars from the grocery store, a 40 watt clamp on reading light from my bed stand, two wash clothes in the bottom of it, a full coffee cup of water and a small temperature guage from the hardware store. My eggs were fertile and from a Rouen Hen and Mallard Drake that I owned laying in my backyard on the ground and fresh. I marked the date on the calendar and these last 4 days have left it alone only checking the temperature to keep it at around 98 instead of the 100 it had been during the 28 days they had been in there. Today is hatch day, one is out and is fine and the other one has externally pipped but still waiting on it to make it out. The other one was out in 4 hours flat. I am amazed when they hatch out this way but it works for me. I turned them religiously during the early days sometimes 7 times a day, then it got down to 4 times a day. Good luck with yours.

 

[RafterB_ranch]

#2 and 3 are inseparable. And the bibbed one has half black, half pink feet!