Duck eggs

[birdluver]

I have 9 duck eggs in the bator, one looks like it died ( it came from a different nest) and the other 8 look healthy when I candled them. The problem is I don't know how old they are. They are mallard eggs and completly dark when I candled them except for the air sac. How do I know when to lock down? Will it hurt the babies to keep turning them untill one pips?

 

[katharinad]

Just wait until you either see movement or have a pip. Then increase the humidity rapidly by adding warm water and perhaps sponges.

 

[FenDruadin]

I always candle daily the last few days before lockdown, and I put them in the hatcher on lockdown as soon as I see the first one pip through the internal membrane. If you've been candling, you'll know when this happens because you'll see a long shadow poking into the air cell--that's the little bill. Once they've done that, it's about 24 hours to the first pip and it's safe to lock them down.

If they've filled up most of the egg, you should start seeing them pushing up against the membrane soon, and it won't be long before that first internal pip. If you happen to miss it and one pips externally, just go ahead and lock down immediately. It will probably be fine.