Do I need to be more patient?

[fairyfairyfairy]

Hi all,
I hope you can all help
I haven't hatched eggs in my incubator for many years so I am a little rusty. I have some duck eggs currently in the incubator. Today is day 27. Yesterday, we heard some cheeping, so put the eggs in some warm water to see if there was any movement and they were kicking and cheeping. We put them back carefully and left them alone. This morning, there is no cheeping or movement. I am worried that I have caused them to die? They aren't due until tomorrrow, so I am wondering if I am just worrying for nothing
What do you all think?
Thanks
Claire

 

[BelovedBirds]

Hi all,
I hope you can all help
I haven't hatched eggs in my incubator for many years so I am a little rusty. I have some duck eggs currently in the incubator. Today is day 27. Yesterday, we heard some cheeping, so put the eggs in some warm water to see if there was any movement and they were kicking and cheeping. We put them back carefully and left them alone. This morning, there is no cheeping or movement. I am worried that I have caused them to die? They aren't due until tomorrrow, so I am wondering if I am just worrying for nothing
What do you all think?
Thanks
Claire

Really putting them in water should be a last resort to check for life, not just done after an internal pip, but unless the water was an extreme temp or there were external pips, that shouldn't have caused them to die.

If there are no external pips, you can candle one or two to set your mind at ease, but be careful not to turn the eggs as you do so, and put them back in with the most of the air cell on the side facing up. (If that makes sense).
Since they aren't due until tomorrow, I wouldn't worry too much, though.

If there is no external pip 18-24 hours you can make a safety hole-
but plenty of people leave them and they end up safely pipping the shell 30+ hours after internal pip. It depends on the size of the air cell. It's up to you how hands on you want to be.
Here is the Assisted hatching article
its good to read it through even if you dont need to assist, and is full of great advice incase you do. Just keep in mind that ducklings are far slower than chicks and can take days so it's important to never rush them.

 

[fairyfairyfairy]

Really putting them in water should be a last resort to check for life, not just done after an internal pip, but unless the water was an extreme temp or there were external pips, that shouldn't have caused them to die.

If there are no external pips, you can candle one or two to set your mind at ease, but be careful not to turn the eggs as you do so, and put them back in with the most of the air cell on the side facing up. (If that makes sense).
Since they aren't due until tomorrow, I wouldn't worry too much, though.

If there is no external pip 18-24 hours you can make a safety hole-
but plenty of people leave them and they end up safely pipping the shell 30+ hours after internal pip. It depends on the size of the air cell. It's up to you how hands on you want to be.
Here is the Assisted hatching article
its good to read it through even if you dont need to assist, and is full of great advice incase you do. Just keep in mind that ducklings are far slower than chicks and can take days so it's important to never rush them.

Thanks for your comments - I didn't realise putting them in warm was a no-no. Shows how things have changed since I last did this ten years ago! The water was warm as I didn't want to shock them

I might candle them when I get home from work later if there is no external pips. I'll give the article a read and see if I have any other questions. Interesting what you say about ducklings being slower than chicks. I never knew! I will try and be more patient

 

[BelovedBirds]

Thanks for your comments - I didn't realise putting them in warm was a no-no. Shows how things have changed since I last did this ten years ago! The water was warm as I didn't want to shock them

I might candle them when I get home from work later if there is no external pips. I'll give the article a read and see if I have any other questions. Interesting what you say about ducklings being slower than chicks. I never knew! I will try and be more patient

some ducklings pop out pretty fast, others really test your patience! After the external pip it could be a couple before they unzip- During that time they'll just be absorbing. You can usually tell if they have yolk left as they'll yawn or chew with their beaks! But yes, have a read when you can, it's a brilliant article!

 

[fairyfairyfairy]

some ducklings pop out pretty fast, others really test your patience! After the external pip it could be a couple before they unzip- During that time they'll just be absorbing. You can usually tell if they have yolk left as they'll yawn or chew with their beaks! But yes, have a read when you can, it's a brilliant article!

As of this morning, there were no external pips. It was just that there was cheeping and now there isn't that worried me really even though they aren't due until tomorrow. I wasn't sure how early they might start to hatch before the "due date". So they yawn or chew if they have absorbed the yolk?

 

[BelovedBirds]

As of this morning, there were no external pips. It was just that there was cheeping and now there isn't that worried me really even though they aren't due until tomorrow. I wasn't sure how early they might start to hatch before the "due date". So they yawn or chew if they have absorbed the yolk?

they yawn or chew if they're still absorbing, so if they make those motions with the beak they still have yolk left.
Try not to panic, they may have been sleeping, my first duckling chirped a lot after she internally pipped, but then went pretty quiet. If I spoke/peeped at her, she started up again, but the rest of the time she just napped and absorbed. My second didnt chirp at all until she'd externally pipped! Each one is different. Hopefully yours are all okay and making progress soon!

 

[fairyfairyfairy]

they yawn or chew if they're still absorbing, so if they make those motions with the beak they still have yolk left.
Try not to panic, they may have been sleeping, my first duckling chirped a lot after she internally pipped, but then went pretty quiet. If I spoke/peeped at her, she started up again, but the rest of the time she just napped and absorbed. My second didnt chirp at all until she'd externally pipped! Each one is different. Hopefully yours are all okay and making progress soon!

Ah great - thank you for all your help! I'll let you know how it goes!

 

[Finnie]

Ah great - thank you for all your help! I'll let you know how it goes!

Update? Any hatch?

 

[fairyfairyfairy]

Unfortunately nothing hatched Thanks for asking. Any thoughts on what we did wrong as we definitely heard one cheeping? I followed all the instructions. The incubator is several decades old from when I was young and we incubated these eggs to give it a go again. I am now wanting to try again, so I have invested in a new incubator, so any tips for the next attempt would be appreciated

 

[Buckingham Palace]

Unfortunately nothing hatched Thanks for asking. Any thoughts on what we did wrong as we definitely heard one cheeping? I followed all the instructions. The incubator is several decades old from when I was young and we incubated these eggs to give it a go again. I am now wanting to try again, so I have invested in a new incubator, so any tips for the next attempt would be appreciated

I’m sorry. good luck on your next hatch.