Help! Duck egg air cell pic, near hatch day

[ulifarm]

Hello! My broody hen (duck) is sitting on a clutch, however I had to bring in a few due to the recent freeze Texas had.

I have one in the incubator thats been thriving. I’m not sure the exact day of incubation it’s on since it started under my hen.

Not sure what’s going on now - The air cell has this one pocket right here. What could that be? Do you think it’s near hatch day since most all is black?

I’m new to duck incubating but have hatched chicks & emus before.

 

[nchls school]

The first two pictures look like the air cell is saddled; been disrupted. The good news is that I have had many saddled eggs hatch, but it may need an assist. Are you sure the embryo is stil alive?

 

[ulifarm]

The first two pictures look like the air cell is saddled; been disrupted. The good news is that I have had many saddled eggs hatch, but it may need an assist. Are you sure the embryo is stil alive?

I believe so, where do you recommend poking the hole with a saddled air cell?

 

[nchls school]

When the egg has internally pipped, candle it to find the safest spot to poke the air hole.

Many saddled eggs do hatch on their own.

To assist I wait until the other eggs have externally pipped. Then if the saddled egg has externally pipped I wait until a duckling/chick has hatched to start assisting. If it has not externally piped, now is the time for the air hole. The duckling in a saddled egg may not be able to turn in the egg to zip.