Double Yolk Incubation Research Project

[iluvsedward]

give them a good couple of hours to internally pip then check them again, the ones that have IP you can give safe holes and watch for bruising in the narrow end of the shell, which would be the other baby trying to get air. You can shine a flashlight through the windows to look for this, no need to candle, but when you take them out to make a safe hole look them over good for any signs of narrow-end escapees

 

[iluvsedward]

Remember, if you see any blood that is an indication to stop because there’s still veins and the baby is still absorbing yolk. And trust me you do not wanna deal with two babies that have unabsorbed yolks! They can survive but chances are so much lower if you do not give them that time in the shell to absorb it. Also remember! They can last a pretty long time as long as they have access to air.. get them access to air to give yourself peace of mind so you can be hands off while they absorb that yolk and then you can do whatever assisting needs to be done without worrying about blood loss or unabsorbed yolks.

 

[MarlyMonster]

They wont start “receding” until after the chick has externally pipped and absorbed the yolk fully, even then you may still see them lining the shell but you wouldnt be candling at that point because your chick would be hatching!

Also when i assist i hook up a heat lamp so i have plenty of light and warmth in addition to making sure its humid enough, i usually do this in my bathroom so i can turn on a hot steamy shower to get the room humid then hook up a lamp close enough to give good warmth and light and i work on the floor to avoid dropping eggs!

Unfortunately bathroom isn’t an option for me because we only have one and it’s too big and drafty to be able to steam up, it would take longer than the amount of hot water available
That’s why I figured I’d try steaming up the incubator room with a humidifier and get as close to the bator humidity as possible. It’s sort of my only option unless I want to transport them with me on Sunday to the house I’m pet sitting and use a bathroom there but I’m not sure it’s a good idea to move them at that point

Also, number 10’s air cell has turned yellow like the DIS eggs
I have a feeling it died... I’ll leave it be because there’s no risk of it exploding if it did pass but I just have a bad feeling

 

[MarlyMonster]

give them a good couple of hours to internally pip then check them again, the ones that have IP you can give safe holes and watch for bruising in the narrow end of the shell, which would be the other baby trying to get air. You can shine a flashlight through the windows to look for this, no need to candle, but when you take them out to make a safe hole look them over good for any signs of narrow-end escapees

There’s a spot on the narrow end of number 10 that sort of looks like a little half cm donut, though I can’t tell if it’s anything important. There’s no IP in the air cell though so I’m assuming it’s nothing?

 

[MarlyMonster]

Remember, if you see any blood that is an indication to stop because there’s still veins and the baby is still absorbing yolk. And trust me you do not wanna deal with two babies that have unabsorbed yolks! They can survive but chances are so much lower if you do not give them that time in the shell to absorb it. Also remember! They can last a pretty long time as long as they have access to air.. get them access to air to give yourself peace of mind so you can be hands off while they absorb that yolk and then you can do whatever assisting needs to be done without worrying about blood loss or unabsorbed yolks.

From the timeline I was told earlier I should assume it can take at anywhere from 48 to 72 hours from internal pip to hatch, so with a safety hole I should assume to give them at least that amount of time after internal pip with a safety hole before I start helping? Or is that too long? While I’m excited I’m in no rush really so if that’s the amount of time I should leave them alone for that’s what I’ll do

 

[silkie1472]

Unfortunately bathroom isn’t an option for me because we only have one and it’s too big and drafty to be able to steam up, it would take longer than the amount of hot water available
That’s why I figured I’d try steaming up the incubator room with a humidifier and get as close to the bator humidity as possible. It’s sort of my only option unless I want to transport them with me on Sunday to the house I’m pet sitting and use a bathroom there but I’m not sure it’s a good idea to move them at that point

Also, number 10’s air cell has turned yellow like the DIS eggs
I have a feeling it died... I’ll leave it be because there’s no risk of it exploding if it did pass but I just have a bad feeling

I really hate to say this but yellow in the membrane is usually not good. It can mean several things, but yellow is an indication the too much moisture has accumulated in the egg, possibly drowning the duckling. I had this happen to a gosling last spring. It could also mean that there has been a humidity drop, causing a notice Le stain on the internal membrane — this is the best case scenario. Some can survive this if they are caught early and ready to hatch, but some are unfortunate (and being two ducklings in there changes the odds too I’d assume). Keep your fingers crossed!

 

[silkie1472]

From the timeline I was told earlier I should assume it can take at anywhere from 48 to 72 hours from internal pip to hatch, so with a safety hole I should assume to give them at least that amount of time after internal pip with a safety hole before I start helping? Or is that too long? While I’m excited I’m in no rush really so if that’s the amount of time I should leave them alone for that’s what I’ll do

From internal pip to external to hatch varies among waterfowl. I’ve had some hatch in as little as 24 hours from internal pip, but I would say anywhere from 36-72 hours is a good estimate.

 

[MarlyMonster]

I really hate to say this but yellow in the membrane is usually not good. It can mean several things, but yellow is an indication the too much moisture has accumulated in the egg, possibly drowning the duckling. I had this happen to a gosling last spring. It could also mean that there has been a humidity drop, causing a notice Le stain on the internal membrane — this is the best case scenario. Some can survive this if they are caught early and ready to hatch, but some are unfortunate (and being two ducklings in there changes the odds too I’d assume). Keep your fingers crossed!

I’ve had the humidity upped as of last night and a touch more today because of lockdown, they were at 30 before, then at 45-50, and then around 3 today I went up to 60 like recommended. But i stopped seeing the veins sometime yesterday so I believe it was before humidity went up a lot. No clue what happened but let’s wait and see I guess

 

[MarlyMonster]

From internal pip to external to hatch varies among waterfowl. I’ve had some hatch in as little as 24 hours from internal pip, but I would say anywhere from 36-72 hours is a good estimate.

So is waiting 48 hours after internal pip before assisting a good rule to stick to then? Or at least to start evaluating if I should? That would give the yolk enough time to absorb right? Sorry for all my questions, just wanna be sure I do this right cuz I’m terrified of going in too early before the yolk is absorbed but I’m also scared of being too late and hurting them

 

[silkie1472]

If the ducklings are still moving or making sounds, they should be fine. However, if they start sounding weak, usually a distressed peep or clicking noises, I advise helping.

Also, the veins are not gone — they are merely out of sight. The are just so close to the duckling now in the membrane that they are not visible. Everything sounds good though!