Duck Hatching Intervention after internal pip?

[Bobbimarks]

We are on day 26. I turned the humidity way up last night because I was really afraid of the membrane drying out. And I have read so many different things about humidity...otherwise it was between 40-65 before lockdown. I actually wasn't planning on locking down until today...but he had internally pipped already 2 days ago. I think I will leave him a couple hours yet, then check on him. I will check then if he looks gooey if he hasn't progressed any. The membrane around the air hole is brown.

 

[casportpony]

What as the date that you set the eggs?

-Kathy

 

[Bobbimarks]

The egg was set Sept. 3.

I opened the egg a bit more until I found its beak. Chirping pretty good. Doesn't really look super wet and gooey, and the egg seemed to chip away rather easily. Mildly sticky?

 

[JadeComputerGal]

The egg was set Sept. 3.

I opened the egg a bit more until I found its beak. Chirping pretty good. Doesn't really look super wet and gooey, and the egg seemed to chip away rather easily. Mildly sticky?

Mildly sticky is kind of normal on day 26. Hard to know because mildly might mean something different to me than it does to you. Can you take another pic of the egg close up now that you've opened it a bit more?

 

[Bobbimarks]

And it looks like one of the gray runners is indeed the daddy!

 

[JadeComputerGal]

And it looks like one of the gray runners is indeed the daddy!

That actually looks okay to me. I'd give him a couple more days, but would you mind updating us tomorrow just in case things change?

 

[Bobbimarks]

Sadly he died over night. My poor daughter left for school crying.

He was chirping with his beak out when we went to bed. This morning daughter woke me up and said he wasn't moving. Sure enough. And his beak was no longer out. When I pulled the shell back more, it looked as if he had turned and tucked his head and suffocated.
Maybe I intervened too much or not enough...*sigh*
This one made it further than the last one, who we didn't intervene, but it suffocated because he couldn't externally pip through the shell

For future reference: What is the humidity level supposed to be for beginning of incubation, and what is it supposed to be got lockdown? I am guessing this may be where my problem lies? And temps? Are they trying to pip too early? It was day 23 when it started internally.

Also, it seems as most of our live embryos are not developing good air cells and are drowning. We have lost most of them end of term this way. Is there a way to encourage good air cell growth?

Also, when pulling the shell off this morning, it was so delicate and crumbly, not at all like when I poked the initial hole. Does it thin out towards the end of the process? If so, maybe my embryos are developing too quickly before the shell is ready?

Thank you for your advice.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

Sadly he died over night. My poor daughter left for school crying.

He was chirping with his beak out when we went to bed. This morning daughter woke me up and said he wasn't moving. Sure enough. And his beak was no longer out. When I pulled the shell back more, it looked as if he had turned and tucked his head and suffocated.
Maybe I intervened too much or not enough...*sigh*
This one made it further than the last one, who we didn't intervene, but it suffocated because he couldn't externally pip through the shell

For future reference: What is the humidity level supposed to be for beginning of incubation, and what is it supposed to be got lockdown? I am guessing this may be where my problem lies? And temps? Are they trying to pip too early? It was day 23 when it started internally.

Also, it seems as most of our live embryos are not developing good air cells and are drowning. We have lost most of them end of term this way. Is there a way to encourage good air cell growth?

Also, when pulling the shell off this morning, it was so delicate and crumbly, not at all like when I poked the initial hole. Does it thin out towards the end of the process? If so, maybe my embryos are developing too quickly before the shell is ready?

Thank you for your advice.

I keep the pre-lockdown RH at 40-45% depending how the air cells are developing. Excessive humidity will cause small air cells. It can also be helpful to give the eggs a little spray of 100 degree water once per day. If you have room in your incubator to keep a very small spray bottle, you don't have to worry about heating it to get it to the right temp. The one we use is similar to the very small travel-size hairspray bottles, but you need a brand new bottle, not something that's ever contained chemicals. The pre-lockdown temp should stay at 99.5.

I keep the lockdown RH at 60-65% depending on conditions, and I reduce the temp to 99. If you're doing only small hatches, it's not necessary to lower your temp.

I'm very sorry you lost the baby. Are you going to try it again soon?

 

[casportpony]

Sorry for your loss.

You might want to get something like this:
https://www.brinsea.com/p-394-spot-check-digital-incubator-thermometer.aspx

-Kathy

 

[Bobbimarks]

We will try it again. We have a collection of eggs growing in the duck house. We are waiting to see if any of our females show any motherly instincts. If not we will probably try putting them in the incubator this weekend.

I was also researching egg cuticles. Do you remove them or let them be? Maybe this also has something to do with the small air cells?

Once we get the hang of things, I foresee a possible science project idea for my son!