Call Ducks on Day 27-no pipping

[brewchick]

I have four call duck eggs in my still air incubator. They are on day 27 and still have not internally pipped that I can tell. Last year, all of my calls internally pipped on day 25 or 26, and I have not had a call duck hatch any later than day 27. Can someone put my mind at ease? I've candled them and can see them moving around some, but no visible pipping and they aren't chirping.

They have been at a temp of 98-100 for the entire incubation, and a humidity of 50 for the first 23 days and 60 for the last couple of days (hoping this wasn't too high, I added a little too much water). I took them off the turner for lockdown four days ago. I did neglect to fill the reservoir a couple of days early on and the humidity dipped as low as 18% for a day.

Here is a photo of one of the candled eggs.

 

[randerson846]

They should be fine, especially if u can see them moving, but give it maybe another day or 2, and then maybe u should start, to think about intervening, if u can't wait, u could make a small hole in the bottom of the egg, where the air sac is, to encourage it, but it's upto u, hopefully they'll be fine! Let me know!!

 

[brewchick]

Here are some more photos of the others. I don't want to help them too soon, but I don't want to help them too late, either. One is actively trying to pip (I got a nice video of her little beak trying to poke it's way through). Everyone is still moving, but not quite as much as they were this morning.

 

[randerson846]

Just keep an eye on them, because as u said u don't want to intervene to late!! Was there any temperature drops, during the incubator, that may of cause a delayed hatch??

 

[brewchick]

I don't think so, but I also had three thermometers that gave me three different readings, so the entire incubation period may have been too low. 98 on the very lowest side, 101 on the very highest. I figured it would be better to aim lower than to roast the poor things, so that probably explains why they're taking so long.

So at least one is trying to break through the air sack- when do you think I should intervene if I need to? I'm thinking I should probably poke a hole in the egg that has tried to pip by tonight or tomorrow morning. Thoughts?? I'm worried that they might be "shrink wrapped", which would explain why they're having trouble internally pipping. I don't see how they could be, though, with the humidity being on the highish side and not having opened the incubator for four days before this morning.

 

[randerson846]

I would wait till at least day 28, and if there is no sign of them hatching, then I would start to intervene, as for the one that is trying to internally pip, I would maybe make a small hole, to help it but it is up to u, when was the last time u canceled the eggs? Was ait recently?, check and if there is no signs, I would maybe start thinking about starting to help!!

 

[brewchick]

I candled them about an hour ago, which is when I saw the one trying to break free. The others are moving, but I can't see beaks. Will it hurt them to poke a small hole even if they haven't internally pipped?

 

[randerson846]

It won't hurt them, if u break / make a small hole, on the place were the air sac is, as there is nothing there but air lol, but if they're still Moving that's a good sign, so don't give up

 

[randerson846]

What's happening? Any more updates? What did u do?

 

[brewchick]

I lost one last night, so I opened it up. The membrane was very hard and dry, and the yolk had not been absorbed. I went ahead and made a q-tip sized hole in the other three and have been moistening the membrane every couple of hours. I think I just lost another; I haven't seen any movement from it. The other two are moving around pretty actively, and I heard peeping from one of them. Today is the 28th day-I'll keep working on them with the q-tip and hope for the best. So far the membrane has not been punctured but I'm hoping with how active they are that it will be soon.