Duckling Day 21 - Air cell too big?

[Mudstar4ever]

Hi there!

This is Day 21 and I candled my one duck egg to see how he's doing and the air cell has been growing exponentially and already seems to be drawing downward. At Day 21... is this air cell too big? I've kept humidity around 45%, but it seems like he's been growing so fast. The egg has been completely dark for almost 3 days now (he's moving, so he's definitely alive). Could he possibly be hatching sooner than anticipated? If so, would I need to consider an earlier lockdown and start raising the humidity? I added some water since the aircell grew quite a bit in the last 24 hours and it's been very dry here this week.

Any advice is welcome - I would like to pull off this one-egg hatch successfully!

 

[Scubamama]

Nope. It looks perfect! I did still air, dry incubation and has a 95% hatch rate with my first ever time hatching. Many looked even lower than that at 21 days. Check out this link
https://www.muranochickenfarm.com/2018/03/dry-incubation.html?m=1

 

[Mudstar4ever]

Fab - thanks so much for confirming! That sets my mind at ease. So excited and fingers crossed for a successful hatch!

 

[Scubamama]

Keep us updated on your hatch!!!

 

[Mudstar4ever]

Candled again and the air cell is even BIGGER (even after I added more water last night). Saw movement again tonight both inside the shell and with the subtlest of rocking. I swear I could see the slightest thin shadow moving in and out at the edge of the air cell (where the "O" is) that I feel like is the beak trying to internally pip, so I went ahead and removed the auto-turner but can hand-turn as needed. Tomorrow is only Day 23 - is that too early for a duckling? The air cell still looks way too big to me so I bumped the humidity up to ~60-65, since it seems like he's gearing up to hatch.

Should I be concerned at all with the size of the air cell? And should I stop turning him now or wait until I see an actual internal pip? What do you think?

 

[Scubamama]

All 21 of mine pipped internally very early. Around day 23/24 and started hatching late day 26 but it takes them forever. And yes, with ducks it looks like the air sac is huge and takes up about half the shell. Just remember that ducks take a lot longer than chickens to fully hatch. They’ll Pip internally several days before and that has to hold them. Then they’ll give the tiniest little pip that you need binoculars to see, then sit like that for-ev-er lol. Seriously their hatching process is so slow and drawn out it’s painful. But of my 21 that we’re in my still air 15-30% humidity til lock down incubator, 19 hatched .

I think your little ducky is doing just fine!

 

[Mudstar4ever]

Okay phew - thank you so much. Clearly a nervous duck mama over here!
Guess I'll just have to occupy myself with the three ducklings I have for now and sit on my hands for the next few days. Thanks for resting my mind at ease!

 

[Mudstar4ever]

Eeeek we have an internal pip this morning!! (SO early - Day 23) but I'm so excited!
No chirping yet, but did see some tiny rocking. I'll keep my eye on him. Pouring water in isn't getting the humidity up enough, so going to soak a hand towel to put in there.
Side note, right about where the bill is, there was an odd bright yellow-orange "spot" (almost like a burn mark?). Is that anything to be wary of?

 

[Mudstar4ever]

Update: no external pip or chirping yet, but he's still wobbling and kicking. He's actually spinning the egg horizontally a little with his movement - is that normal? Or should I gently rotate him upward a little bit more?

That brown spot / bruise still concerns me. :/ Hoping it's nothing serious!

I've lowered temp to 98.5 and humidity around 65. I'm trying to coax him into peeping!

 

[BelovedBirds]

Update: no external pip or chirping yet, but he's still wobbling and kicking. He's actually spinning the egg horizontally a little with his movement - is that normal? Or should I gently rotate him upward a little bit more?

That brown spot / bruise still concerns me. :/ Hoping it's nothing serious!

I've lowered temp to 98.5 and humidity around 65. I'm trying to coax him into peeping!

sorry no one ever replied...! The bruise could have been where the duckling was trying to pip