I put my Pekin duck eggs on lockdown yesterday because they had started pipping internally. All of them were alive and I could hear them tapping on the shell. I checked them today and I haven't seen any progress. I have read in different sources that if there isn't an external pip within 24 hours, you need to create an air hole so they don't suffocate. I did this earlier today, which would have been 24+ hours after the internal pip. They were all alive and tapping when I did this and also chirping. This has been the only time I opened the incubator during lockdown. As of now, it's been 48+ hours since the internal pip and I'm still not seeing any signs of an external pip. I've been keeping the humidity between 70% and 80% during lockdown. Before lockdown, I kept it between 50% and 55%. Do I need to intervene? I'm afraid to open the incubator but I haven't seen any progress. Is it supposed to take this long to externally pip? When I was making their air holes, I noticed that the eggs were really hard. I know duck eggs are tougher than chicken eggs but could this be a problem? Again, when I made the air holes today all ducklings were moving and tapping the shell and most chirped. Please help! This is my first time incubating.
**Update 1: Is it possible that they are treating the air hole I made as the external pip and so now they're in the rest period (breathing, absorbing yolk) before they completely hatch?
**Update 2: I just checked on them and I can see movement in one of the air holes and a few eggs are moving a little.
**Update 1: Is it possible that they are treating the air hole I made as the external pip and so now they're in the rest period (breathing, absorbing yolk) before they completely hatch?
**Update 2: I just checked on them and I can see movement in one of the air holes and a few eggs are moving a little.
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