Duck Hatching Worries

[bandocommando]

Hi all!

First time duck-mom-to-be (if all goes well...) I’m hatching six Welsh Harlequins and three Runners. We’re on day 24 and I’m excited but very nervous! I have a few questions and would love to pick y’all’s brains.

1. When am I actually supposed to lockdown? I had a day zero because I started in the afternoon. I’ve seen some guides that say lockdown on 25 and other on 26... does it matter?

2. I think my air cells are too small. They seem to be closer to the day 18 size than the 24. I’ve been compensating with lower humidity but I know I have to raise the humidity during lockdown... should I still try to keep it lower for a day or two in the hopes of giving them bigger air cells? What would you recommend?

I’m incubating in a Janoel 12 and so far everyone is wriggling and seems to be developing fine. I’ve been hand turning five times a day and misting/cooling for a few minutes once a day. The air cells are just really stressing me out!! Any advice or comfort or hard truth would be appreciated right now!!

Thanks!

 

[JaeG]

Some people only raise the humidity once they candle and see that the chicks/ducklings have pipped internally. When candling in the 'lockdown' period try to keep the egg in the same position they are lying in inside the incubator while you candle. This ensures that the baby doesn't get confused and try to turn around again and end up stuck.

If your air cells look a little small then keeping the humidity low until you find they've started to pip internally is probably a good idea. It's amazing how much bigger the air cells will look once they draw down though.

 

[bandocommando]

Thank you! I think one egg has internally pipped so I left him in the same position and rotated everyone else for the last time - do you think that’s alright or should I go flip everyone back?

The one who I think has pipped is the smallest egg with the largest air cell. I guess this could TECHNICALLY be considered 25 depending on when you count from. I put my eggs in the bator in the afternoon so I counted it as day 0 but obviously the lil ducks don’t know!

 

[JaeG]

It's possibly because that egg is smaller that it got warmed up quicker and started to develop faster than the others. Or it's been sitting in a slightly warmer spot. Who knows but it's very normal.

Leave the eggs as they are - they'll be fine.

You'll be checking on them constantly, waiting for something to happen now. Exciting!

We are incubating Muscovy eggs. We are on day 21. The poor kids asked me yesterday if they were going to hatch soon. I had to break it to them that we still had at least 12 days to go and maybe a few more after that. They take forever!