Day 27 for call duck eggs when to HELP them ????

[elliottfam11]

Thank u so much for the quick reply, that info is super helpful! So would the hole go where the air sac is then? I ask this because I have one with a detached air sac. Surprisingly enough out of the 4 in the incubator it is the only one thriving! I just candled it, day 10, and veins everywhere and a small blackish hook like thing that is moving a lot!! I've kept it large size up constantly and turn at least 3 times a day. It's a homemade incubator, styrofoam chest. My husbands an electrician so he made me a dinner with a 25 watt bulb so it's been nice controlling the temp with it and the humidity stays 65-75%. We live in Colorado at 6500 ft so it's pretty dry here but with the bowl and sponge that's where it hangs with no problems. Plus I have them on some pine shavings in there and they soak up the humidity so that helps to. I know it's important to keep them with the large end up at all times with detached air sac and that also makes survivablity even harder but I'm optimistic. I'm going to to check the ones under my 2 silkies in a little bit. I only had one silkie broody for 3 weeks and she's been on them for 8 days by herself until another went in there and decided she wanted to help. My little white one was NOT happy and that first day they kept fighting over them, stealing them back from each other! But they practically sit on top of each other anyway! Silly girls! Anyway, I was just curious if I put the small hole in the middle of the airsac? Thanks again. We've never hatched anything in our life and me, my husband,and my 19 year old daughter have each been doing everything we can to ensure we get some healthy ones. So every little bit helps.

 

[Lacrystol]

Thank u so much for the quick reply, that info is super helpful! So would the hole go where the air sac is then? I ask this because I have one with a detached air sac. Surprisingly enough out of the 4 in the incubator it is the only one thriving! I just candled it, day 10, and veins everywhere and a small blackish hook like thing that is moving a lot!! I've kept it large size up constantly and turn at least 3 times a day. It's a homemade incubator, styrofoam chest. My husbands an electrician so he made me a dinner with a 25 watt bulb so it's been nice controlling the temp with it and the humidity stays 65-75%. We live in Colorado at 6500 ft so it's pretty dry here but with the bowl and sponge that's where it hangs with no problems. Plus I have them on some pine shavings in there and they soak up the humidity so that helps to. I know it's important to keep them with the large end up at all times with detached air sac and that also makes survivablity even harder but I'm optimistic. I'm going to to check the ones under my 2 silkies in a little bit. I only had one silkie broody for 3 weeks and she's been on them for 8 days by herself until another went in there and decided she wanted to help. My little white one was NOT happy and that first day they kept fighting over them, stealing them back from each other! But they practically sit on top of each other anyway! Silly girls! Anyway, I was just curious if I put the small hole in the middle of the airsac? Thanks again. We've never hatched anything in our life and me, my husband,and my 19 year old daughter have each been doing everything we can to ensure we get some healthy ones. So every little bit helps.

Well first thing I see that is going to be an issue is Ducks do 10x better laying down. So if it was me I would be laying them down right NOW...., doesn't matter if his air cell is loose or deatched at this point.. Perhaps the other three didn't make it because you have them in an upright position..

Yes the hole is to be made at the top of the large end where the air cell is..

Your humidity is to high, from day one to three days before hatching day it should NOT be any higher then 55% the lower the better... You'll end up with Sticky babies, basically they drown in the shell. Are you misting them? Duck eggs enjoy being misted.

For chickens YES, it's important to keep the large end up for deattached air cells but for ducks, it an all new ball game. You wouldn't spray a chicken egg would you?

I don't think I'm understanding you correctly, do you have some under a silkie hen and in an incubator or do you have all of them under a silkie hen? If that's the case, how the heck could you possibly have them in an upright position under a hen??

Silkie will steal each other eggs thats OK. As long as one or both is taken care of them, it doesn't matter whos got them. Warm is the most important thing and in your position you have TWO (hens) heaters keeping those babies warm. Best thing for you to have because they can't over cook them. LOL

if you referr to my website, www.lwbarnhouse.com click on the Duck tab I have TWO methods that I have used for hatching out calls. Both are very successful you just can't combine both methods.

 

[Amykins]

Lacry is the call duck guru. She saved my Wobbles, and if not for her, Armando may not have made it, either!

 

[elliottfam11]

Ok, clarification time with pics!
The one egg at the very top(by the ice chest and humidity detector) is the one I've had in here from beginning and IS developing with a detached air sac. I've had it on its side but the bigger end a little higher than the rest of it, u can't tell too good from the pick but the pine shavings elevate it some. There has been soooo many sites that told me soooo many things where call duck eggs were concerned I didn't know what to believe so I just went with it. The bottom four in a semi triangle I retrieved from my two lady silkies last night after checking them for day 10. I'm not sure they made it, I'm almost positive they didn't, but we're gonna recheck in 4 days to be certain. But good news, 5 of the silkies call ducks eggs are DEFINITELY growing very quick! They all have my one in the incubator beat, for sure. My calendar is only at day 10 but can they be further along than that? Like at day 14? I saw a couple that I'm a little confused about, they were growing in half the shell, long ways. From the top, down towards middle shell nothing on one side, definitely growth on the other. Could the airsac be that big? Now this is under the silkies, I've sprayed them about once a day, most days. (So yes my two silkie hens have 5 eggs now to share, and when one goes out to do her business the white one steals them all I've never even seen her leave, it's like she scared of loosing all her eggs!) I have the ones I took pics of in incubator but I believe in a couple of days I'll only have the one at the top.
Ok so humidity, in ur opinion then, what should I do? Is it too late to drop it? I haven't been misting them since it's humid in there, my thought process for that has been the pine shavings hold the humidity and are damp and the eggs r laying on them so I thought that would be too much if I misted them also. We turn them at least 3 times a day and I open the ice chest for a couple of minutes every day for cool down and gradual climb back up to temp.
I'm really considering bringing in the ones from the silkies on day 20 to the incubator, just in case they're further along than I think, is that even possible?, and lock them down on day 23ish, right? No turning, but now I don't know if what I read is right about that also? I was gonna bring them in and increase humidity to 80-85%, no turn, drop temp to 98.5-99.0? And wait til they start piping around day 26? They have 12-24 hours to get out before I need to think about helping?
I don't know now.
We were sooo excited, me the most I think, yesterday when we candled the eggs under the girls and seen sooo much progress in 5 eggs. It was amazing, we weren't getting our hopes up before, thinking we'd be fortunate for at least 1 or 2, but 5 that was cool!
Now I'm soooo nervous and want to give them every chance I can. My daughter doesn't want to let our ladies keep them for lockdown, even though they've done superb so far, she's worried we won't see or hear if something goes wrong. Plus I think she's being selfish and just wanting to watch them all hatch! Me too but I want to do it where they have the best chance.
So with all that, I hope that clarifies it somewhat, let me know your thoughts and I'm gonna go read ur link u provided.
Thank u soooo much. And thanks to the other person for letting me know how great she is!

 

[Lacrystol]

is there a reason as to why you put pine shavings in there? Doesn't sound like it but I would be concerned about the fumes getting into the shell. I have never tried pine shavings but would be a great idea once they are out because they are MESSY.....

 

[Lacrystol]

I would NOT recommend raising that humidity up to 80%, I can tell you I did that once KILLED them all, 80% in my opinion is WAY to high. I would slowly lower the humidity, try to get it under 50 if possible 40's.

I'm just afraid at this point you are going to have a sticky problem, so one hatching day CONTACT me IMMEDIATELY. we have done some experiments on Sticky eggs, this experiment as worked on some and unsuccessfully for some so it's a 50/50 chance. But I think that's better then nothing at all.

Can you see a lot of thick yellow emptiness when you candle? If you can get a pic of them as you candle that would be AWESOME, because that would tell me a lot..

You can most definitly let those silkies hatch out those babies just remember, come hatching time they will need to be misted. Silkies don't have the hatching method like a duck.

are these shipped eggs, if so that would definitely explain the large air cells, I wouldn't worry about that, the only issue with that is they will NOT make it on the due date. they will be early birds...Ive see that to many times. LOL so that's the good news for you....

 

[Lacrystol]

Stop turning them Four days before hatching day and put the large end slightly higher up then the smaller end, don't lock them down, this allows them to move about and get into hatching position so that you don't have an upside downer. Plus it gives them something to aim at.

They have about 20% air in that shell once it's time to come out, so its important that they have the safe hole after there due date so that they can continue to breath.. You don't want to do it to early because it can cause other issues like shrink wrap.

 

[elliottfam11]

Ok I'm gonna have a heart attack! My two silkies went to grab a bite to eat, came back and my buff orph has stolen their 5 eggs! She didn't want to give them back but they dug them out from under her, while getting their heads pecked. Now she's tried sitting on them while pecking they're heads and stealing from the black one while the black steals from the white! I gave her two from the fridge to sit on by them but she still wanted theirs, so I picked her up and brought her inside and if I had any doubts that she was a hen they are all gone now. She laid an egg, while I was standing up holding her in the kitchen, that fell on my floor! So I put her back outside hoping that's all she was trying to do, nope, she headed straight for the coop and my silkies! So I gave her a dilemma, I put those 2 non fert eggs on top shelf and put her up there. Now if she wants to be broody she would need to stay up there and do it or go down to fight for the others. 20 min later in happy to report, so far, she's chosen to sit on those on top! God willing she stays there and none of my eggs got hurt in the process of the fighting!

 

[elliottfam11]

Ok, so yes these are shipped eggs. When I got them none were cracked and 2 had detached air sacs. One detached didn't make it I'm posting pics below of the one that did and seems to be growing, slower than the hens lot but still growing.
Now I'm using my cell phone to take pics, my new iPhone 6 plus, but unfortunately it's so good that even in the dark it wants to be too light. I took a pic of one that I'm pretty sure stopped growing, if ever, early for comparison. This is it...

Here is another that I think stopped..

Now these were taken with my sons phone after the ones I took with mine, I was curious if it would b different since he has an android.
So now I'm gonna start with the 1 pic of the egg that has detached but growing in my incubator, from my sons phone.

Not a great pic but here are a few of the same egg from My iPhone...

Now I show this one first cause on top left of the egg you'll see a small raised white spot, that is part of the egg on the outside, won't come off. I'll let u know in the pics that I take in the dark where it is so u don't think it's the embryo.

K, that's the last of the "light/dark" pics of the egg.
Now I'm gonna post the dark room egg pics
K on this one ull see that imperfection part of the raised egg piece from above, in the middle but right above is the blood vessels...

Another angle

Here's another angle, I have no idea what that space/slit is int the middle

Another angle of the slit, can't see the slit unless candling

And now I'll give a few more random angles

Ok, that's about as good as I can get of it for this stage. In a couple days when I recandle my ladies eggs I'll take good pics of them and post them.
What do u think?
I just had to trash one of the eggs I took from the girls yesterday, the one with very small crack on it. It was at day 6ish, I opened it. It was developing with a black eye in the sack before it had cracked, stinky.
I took out the pine shavings, there was no reason other than I wanted the eggs to have a cushy bed. I thought less chance of a break then and it was helpful keeping the detached air sac end elevated. I never heard of fumes or anything being a problem but like I said this is my first rodeo. I'm afraid my dilemma in 2 days is gonna be it will be the only one in my incubator and won't have any eggs around it. Anyhow, I'm dropping the humidity, hopefully I can keep it that low, not sure how. I just had a small bowl with minute amount of water and sponge in it and it was easy to keep at 65% so now I just have a wet sponge by itself. We'll see.
You said those that the hens have make pip early due to half egg growth, how many days early do u think? When should I start their last 3-4 day thing? Should I bring them in where I can monitor them, after I recheck them and post pics in a couple of days?
I will definitely be giving you a call, God willing it makes it that long, on that day.
I don't even know if I actually know what lockdown actually means. So basically at day 22 I need to stop turning, but keep the large end slightly higher? So do I still mist them everyday along with the humidity at 60-65%? I read your site that said that % but I couldn't tell if u misted them with it at that % too. Also one site said to drop the temp by a whole degree at pipping time but I didn't see that on ur site, so do I keep it at 99.5-100.0?
Last question is my temp too low? I've been keeping it at 99.5-100 this whole time. But ur site said, in a still air incubator, 101-102. I don't have a traditional incubator but there isn't a fan or anything in it.

 

[elliottfam11]

If u click on the picture that's the only way u can really see it good and clear, for some reason they don't look very good until u click on them