Delaying lockdown?

[Hudsonsgirl]

Today is day 25 for my duck eggs. One is a Peking and the other is a mallard mix.

So I candled today and neither of them have internally pipped yet. I have been turning them today like normal. Tomorrow is lockdown and I read for people with homemade incubators that have trouble keeping consistent humidity should not lockdown until the ducklings have internally pipped.
Since I am using a homemade incubator I don't want to open the top unless its do or die. I found I lose about 5% humidity and up to 10° temp at most and recover that loss about 10 minutes after closing the top back.
Right now I'm able to keep the incubator at a steady 99-100 range and humidity at 50%.
So my questions are:

1.) do I wait to lockdown until they internally pip? And since I'm a worrier....

2.) If my humidity drops a little during lockdown how much is dangerous and is it but if it doesn't stay low because I fix it quickly within 15 minutes? For example I get the humidity to 60-70% but then it drops to 55-60. Is that going to shrink wrap or cause sticky chick?

3.) If they do internally pip before lockdown do I add the safety hole in the egg just I'm case they need it since my incubator is not as reliable?

4.) If I delay lockdown until they pip internally, do I still turn the eggs everyday?


Sorry..so many questions. I just know I can rely on you all for help.

 

[Dr Evy]

Did you decide to move them into lockdown? I’ve never waited until my chicks have internally pipped to move to lockdown. I always do it at the normal time.
If you fix the humidity fast enough it should be fine, especially if they haven’t externally pipped.
It’s best to leave chicks to internally pip by themselves, but if you’re really worried you can turn the shower on really hot, bring the egg into the bathroom when it gets steamy, and make a safety hole then.
Stopping turning the eggs gives the chicks a chance to get into position for hatching. It is always best to stop turning when lockdown arrives so that they can’t actually get into the right position to internally pip.
I hope it’s going well for you, keep me updated.

 

[Hudsonsgirl]

Did you decide to move them into lockdown? I’ve never waited until my chicks have internally pipped to move to lockdown. I always do it at the normal time.
If you fix the humidity fast enough it should be fine, especially if they haven’t externally pipped.
It’s best to leave chicks to internally pip by themselves, but if you’re really worried you can turn the shower on really hot, bring the egg into the bathroom when it gets steamy, and make a safety hole then.
Stopping turning the eggs gives the chicks a chance to get into position for hatching. It is always best to stop turning when lockdown arrives so that they can’t actually get into the right position to internally pip.
I hope it’s going well for you, keep me updated.

Hello. Thank you for your response. Today is day 27 for one of the two eggs. This particular one is moving and when I candle the egg I can see something moving just at the edge of the air cell but not actually in the center of the air cell. I've watched videos of ducks internally pipping and the bill is quite visible. I don't see that yet and I don't hear it peeping.

Is it about to internally pip? I didn't think I was off on the days, but shouldn't it have pipped already since its day 27?
I've been able to consistently keep the humidity at 62-67%...70% is harder to maintain without raising the temperature too high. The temperature stays between 98.5°-100°.
The other egg is on day 26 and I can still see a little bit of fluid in the egg..and movement.
I rotated the eggs today...but maybe I shouldn't have?

 

[Dr Evy]

Hello. Thank you for your response. Today is day 27 for one of the two eggs. This particular one is moving and when I candle the egg I can see something moving just at the edge of the air cell but not actually in the center of the air cell. I've watched videos of ducks internally pipping and the bill is quite visible. I don't see that yet and I don't hear it peeping.

Is it about to internally pip? I didn't think I was off on the days, but shouldn't it have pipped already since its day 27?
I've been able to consistently keep the humidity at 62-67%...70% is harder to maintain without raising the temperature too high. The temperature stays between 98.5°-100°.
The other egg is on day 26 and I can still see a little bit of fluid in the egg..and movement.
I rotated the eggs today...but maybe I shouldn't have?

Sounds like they’re both close to pipping. If the whole egg is dark, besides the air cell of course, I would expect it to internally pip very soon. The other should also pip soon.
Since you mentioned earlier that you have a homemade incubator they might be being slow to pip because of inconsistent temperature and/or humidity. Are your thermometer and hydrometer calibrated?
It won’t harm them to turn them too much. When I have chicks hatching in the incubator they go knocking into the other eggs like bowling pins when they hatch and usually the other chicks hatch just fine. I probably wouldn’t turn them anymore though.

 

[Hudsonsgirl]

I just candled them both just now and again I can see tiny shapes right at the edge if the air cell where it meets the shadowed part of the egg. And I felt the little one peck! When they do internally pip will I see their beak in the middle of the air cell instead of at the side?

I'll will stop turning them. Although the other one still has fluid in it when I candled it tonight. So maybe still turn that one?

 

[Dr Evy]

I just candled them both just now and again I can see tiny shapes right at the edge if the air cell where it meets the shadowed part of the egg. And I felt the little one peck! When they do internally pip will I see their beak in the middle of the air cell instead of at the side?

I'll will stop turning them. Although the other one still has fluid in it when I candled it tonight. So maybe still turn that one?

Hooray! Yes you should see a shadow of their beak in the air cell. Where you will see the shadow depends on where they pip. Make sure not to candle them too often durning lockdown, especially don’t candle them after they have externally pipped, this could cause shrink wrapping.
No, I would stop turning now. It’s normal for there to be fluid still when you put them into lockdown.

 

[Hudsonsgirl]

Hooray! Yes you should see a shadow of their beak in the air cell. Where you will see the shadow depends on where they pip. Make sure not to candle them too often durning lockdown, especially don’t candle them after they have externally pipped, this could cause shrink wrapping.
No, I would stop turning now. It’s normal for there to be fluid still when you put them into lockdown.

Oopps. I candled again today. Hope that wasn't bad. I'm still not sure if it internally pipped. Today it looked the same ad yesterday... The shadowing is a little bigger, but I don't see an actual bill yet or chirping. Just shadowy movements that seem to be just at the edge, not in the middle of the air cell like I would assume to see if it internally pipped. Should I stop candling? Or can I candle the egg while in the incubator and not take it out?

 

[mcdze]

some hatches i only candle a couple of eggs once at 10 days ..theres really nothing you can do .. best thing is let them hatch lol .. and as mentioned above you dont want to be opening it etc after they got the shell pipped

 

[Hudsonsgirl]

I noticed a bruising on the outside of the egg so I candled the egg while it was in the incubator. You know how the air sac looks bright white before they pip internally?
Well the air sac isn't bright white anymore. In fact it appeared fairly dark and the tip of the egg has a darkness to it that isn't visible from the outside, nor is it in the same place as the visible bruising I noticed before candling.
I did not see a bill like I have in other photos of internally pipped eggs. Is it possible the duckling has internal pipped but broke blood vessels in the process? Will it die? Should I make a safety hole? Or just leave it be knowing it should have a days worth of air inside the egg after rupturing the air sac?

Sorry, so many questions I'm nervous and scared it could be suffering or need help.

 

[Hudsonsgirl]

Its the egg in the middle in question.