Day 27 No Progress Under Broody Call

[Doobly]

Call Duck Eggs

• Doobly
• Jun 12, 2019
• call duck call duck coops call duck egg

In their broody mothers nest in an Omlet Eglu.

Hi, I'm biting my hands off over here! So this is my first time hatching under a broody. She's sat tight in her housing with the door shut and a little food and water in there with her (chick crumb and pebbles in the water). It's day 27 and there are no signs of internal and external pipping. I've left her as alone as I can and use topping up and checking on her food as an excuse to nose at the eggs if she stands up! Only just candled for internal pipping this morning to try and put my mind at ease.... it didn't! I can hang on another day before I severely worry but I'd love some reassurance... what's the latest you've had Calls hatch? Would there be a point you intervene and how? I don't want to interfere enough to see if I can hear any cheeping but no movement or sounds have been observed. Is there a chance they have shrink wrapped? My nerves! Photo from last week when she went for a bath break!

 

[Miss Lydia]

@WVduckchick

 

[Doobly]

@WVduckchick

Thanks Lydia!

 

[WVduckchick]

Broodies are usually very good at what they do! But depending on the weather, I think the calendar goes out the window with broodies. You can’t always reliably count days.

Did you notice any drawdown of the air cells when you candled?

 

[Doobly]

I'm going to add that her sister initially sat on the eggs then gave up after A WHOLE DAY! Then current mama (Poppy) took over again and has stayed with them since. So I don't know if that period (they cooled, I thought we had lost them!) has slowed everything down?

 

[chickens really]

Definitely keep waiting..I've had Hens setting and thought were due and another 5 days went by before the eggs hatched. I have two setting right now and have no idea when they will hatch..I just know they will soon..

 

[Doobly]

Broodies are usually very good at what they do! But depending on the weather, I think the calendar goes out the window with broodies. You can’t always reliably count days.

Did you notice any drawdown of the air cells when you candled?

Interesting! Thanks. I've only incubated Calls before and I normally see the start of progress day 26. I must admit not particularly, I did mark air cells in pencil a couple of weeks back but mama rubbed them all off! One egg has an alarmingly small cell which gives me the feeling that one is lost but from what I saw it looked fairly typical to a incubated cell before hatch... if that helps? It probably doesn't!
We had trouble getting the boys to fancy mating in the first place so the poor mama brooded her first infertile batch to nearly 2 weeks over. (I didn't want to start her making a new clutch until I'd seen some nookie!) But it's her first time and my drake is 7 and very precious to me and every year I think it's my last chance to have offspring from him... It just feels so close and so far right now!

 

[Doobly]

Definitely keep waiting..I've had Hens setting and thought were due and another 5 days went by before the eggs hatched. I have two setting right now and have no idea when they will hatch..I just know they will soon..

That's comforting! Thank you! Do you ever relax about the process of leaving your broody to it?! I feel like a father in a birthing room!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have a broody Muscovy sitting right now. It's nerve wracking but to me a lot less than if I was waiting for them to hatch in an incubator. lol

 

[Doobly]

I have a broody Muscovy sitting right now. It's nerve wracking but to me a lot less than if I was waiting for them to hatch in an incubator. lol

Lol! I keep thinking that at least in an incubator I could satisfy my urges to go stare at them!!