Day 20, not losing weight

[Sami-Duck]

Of an initial hatch of 8, we know only have one left - lucky number seven! I have a lot of hope pinned on the little guy, I really want him to make it! (Of three hatching attempts, we've not had a single success yet.)

However, number seven isn't losing the 11% - 13% of moisture that the guide to incubation says he should. We want him to get down to 75g before lockdown, but now it's only four days away!


1. Should I lower the humidity to make him lose more moisture before lockdown? I really don't want him to drown!

2. When later I see him poke his beak into the airsac, should I carefully pierce the outside of the egg so that the airsac does not run out of clean air for him? I don't want him to asphyxiate!

 

[Pyxis]

Since the egg is not yet in lockdown, and from your username, I'm assuming it's a duck?

What have you been keeping the humidity at up until this point? You do need to lower it if you need the egg to lose more weight than it's been losing.

 

[Sami-Duck]

Oh goodness! I'm sorry! Yes, he or she is a little duckie.

 

[Pyxis]

I thought so What have you been keeping your humidity at?

 

[Sami-Duck]

I've been keeping the humidity around the 60% mark (I believe). Our incubator has a water trough, divided into three, so I keep two of them fullish; my friend translated the instructions that said the water trough was divided to measure 30% humidity per third, but there's a possibility one of us misunderstood somewhere.

My attempts to make or persuade my boss to buy a hygrometer haven't worked out, so I'm afraid I don't have a more accurate reading for you Sorry about that.

 

[Pyxis]

It's probably been too high then You really need an accurate hygrometer. That's almost definitely why the other attempts have all failed to produce any ducklings.

If weight loss says the egg hasn't lost enough, you need to lower the humidity ASAP, and that means lowering the amount of surface area of water in the incubator.

 

[Sami-Duck]

Yep, I did that after I realised it's what you would say. I halved the water surface in there - there's no chance he'll get too dry is there?

I'm sorry for the other attempted ducklings too. I'll make sure we get one before trying anymore eggs.

 

[Pyxis]

Yep, I did that after I realised it's what you would say. I halved the water surface in there - there's no chance he'll get too dry is there?

I'm sorry for the other attempted ducklings too. I'll make sure we get one before trying anymore eggs.

It is possible for an egg to lose too much moisture, but in this case I don't think you're in any danger of that. I would run the incubator totally dry until internal pip to try to get the needed weight loss, and then add water for lockdown once you see the internal pip.

 

[Sami-Duck]

Okay, will do. Thank you so much for your help and assistance! <3