could someone please help me!!!waiting on eggs to hatch!!!

[indianrunner]

hi i am Lia! i have 18 indian runner eggs on their 27th day of incubation, i am very new to this and really need help! they are due to hatch tomorrow and i still havent heard any piping yet and wondering if i should be worried??? i had one egg moving around the other day but it has stopped and i was told by a friend to candle it t see if they are still moving and yes they are when i am candling them! i really dont know what to expect when it comes to the lead up of hatching! i would really love some advice i am so excited and nervous all a the same time!

 

[katharinad]

Just sit tight and don't open the incubator. Duckling hatch just the way humans get born. They are never on time. They are either early or late. The best thing you can do it take notes of which eggs have moved on a piece of paper. They should pip externally within 24 hours of movement, and come out of the egg another 24-48 after external pipping. They can be late, if the temperature was a little bit low. Most thermometers are not 100% so this is a good possibility.

 

[duckyfromoz]

Hi Lia..Welcome to BYC from a fellow Aussie. I also have Indian Runners and have actullay found them to be just a little different to hatch from other ducklings. They do have a slightly longer neck even as a hatchling - and this can mean they have more trouble turning and unzipping in the egg.

Opening the incubator durring the last three days of incubation isnt a good idea as it can effect the humidity in the incubator and cause the membrane inside the egg to wrap tight around the duckling meaning it cant move. Do you know what humidity level your incubator is at the moment??

I usually find mine are actually hatching after the 28 day mark- usually only by 12 hours or so- but mostly always out by the end of day 29. They can take up to 48 hours after you see a crack in the egg- so hopefully you will start seeing some pipping of the shells soon.

 

[Bedste]

I only know about chickens and sometimes they do not peep until hours before they hatch

 

[katharinad]

Ducks do that in sloooowwww mooootion. They take a lot of time doing it.

 

[indianrunner]

hey guys thanks you so much for responding! i have started this with very little knowledge as i wasnt expecting to have to incubate them at all! when i realised my duck wasnt going to sit i was told i had to get them in an incubator asap so i had an incubator shipped to my house overnight and rocked up at my door really late so this is what i have done so far... on the 22nd at about 10.30pm was when i put the eggs in i could the 28 days from the 22nd even though it was very late at night which i was told today i am one day ahead of myself so instead of being due to hatch on the 19th being tomorrow its now ment to be the 20th making that wednesday! i was told to set the temp at 37.7 and lower temp down to 36.9 in last 3 days which is what i did and not to worry if it goes up and down a little, my incubator has two water channels and was told to fill the bigger on from day one which would make humidity at 70% and in last two to three days fill both which i have done also the local poultry club said to spray eggs with warm water as well!i under stand the whole not opening the lid in the last 3 days but how am i to fill water levels without lifting the lid???i have done my very best in trying to get as much knowledge over the last 26-27 days and as far as i know i have done okay so far as when candling the eggs they seem to look like they are following the pictures on the net and of course have seen heaps of movement when been candled! so i am hoping i am over reacting in thinking i have lost them! please let me know if i have calculated the dates right so i know for sure to expect them on the 20th and not tomorrow!!

 

[duckyfromoz]

You are right about the dates- You start counting once the eggs have been in the bator for 24hours- as it can take that long for the core of the eggs to rise to the right temperature.

You sound like you have gotten some good advice from locals at the poultry club. I have gained some invaluable information form the members at my club. I even recently spent a week in at the Melbourne show at an information stand in the Poultry pavilion giving information on raising poultry.
Speaking to some of the breeders and exhibitors was wonderful and I hope to do it again next year.

Sounds like you have a hovabator - or hexabator- either way- filling two channels increases the surface area of the water to increase the humidity- and it should last the three days- but if you are worried that it may not last because of miscalculating the date- fill them now and give the eggs a quick spray again before closing the lid. It will help to counteract the effect of opening the bator. I always like to watch the eggs- if I have to do that- as right after spraying they seem to move a lot more. I grab my candling torch and shine it on each egg until I see movement to know that the little one is still alive in the egg.

Good luck...My fingers are crossed for you. Oh..and just out of interest..What colour of Runners do you have??

 

[indianrunner]

thank you so much for responding i am feeling a little more relaxed! they are white i would hopefully one day breed coloured ones i have seen some blue and chocolate ones which i am just in love with! for as long as i can remember i have been in love with indian runners and it wasnt untill last year i finally took the plunge and tracked some down ... found it every hard to get hold of indian runners in tassie! only know of one person who breeds black ones and one who has white and fawn

 

[duckyfromoz]

I found the same thing here in Victoria. I have wanted them for about ten years- but when I looked for them- I couldnt find them- and if I did see any - it was at a time I couldnt buy them. I ended up getting fertile eggs posted to me last year- and ordered a trio from South Australia. I chose Harlequin and Cinnamon because they were rare colours. I didnt realise how rare until I had my heart set on them and started looking. So few breeders- and of the good ones- it was a bad breeding season last year and only one Harlequin was hatched between two breeders I did find in this state. I liek the blue and black- but since the females loose colour- I decided against those colours.

I was going to swap eggs with a person who has fawn and whites down in tassie. I must get in contact with them and see if they are ready for the swap now - I would love to have something different in the bator.

 

[indianrunner]

so did you have any issues with getting some fertilized eggs posted? i was going to look at that once i got some experience behind me and a better set up!do you have any pics of your runners???