Early pipping - turn off turner or not?

[envious]

My second batch of duck eggs is heading towards lockdown Day 22), so I wanted to seek advice from people who may be more experienced than me. In my first batch of eggs, 4 of 10 eggs pipped externally at the end of Day 23/start of Day 24, so we hurried and took it out of the turner (we have a Maticoopx, so we had to take it out of the tray). Three of the four eggs hatched, but one of them died fully-formed and absorbed yolk. The membrane a pale yellow-brown despite the humidity never been lower than 70% and even creeping up to 80% when they hatched. However, out of the six eggs that was not pipped by Day 24, only two hatched. We attempted to assist the four remaining eggs (none of them ever pipped), three were fully-feathered with absorbed yolk. I was wondering, what could be the cause of their deaths? Was it because we opened it during the "lockdown" period (which I don't think because they weren't pipped?), stopped turning a day early, or something else completely?

I candled my second batch yesterday for the three weeks period, and they all look healthy with good veining - just like my previous 10 on Day 21. I just want to make sure they will all hatch this time. Thanks in advance!

 

[Debbie292d]

Hi,

Turning the eggs their last week is not necessary, but just a part of typical incubating procedures. They are large and more mobile and couldn't get stuck, so you could turn that off.

Do you have a hygrometer/thermometer to double-check your incubator settings? I ask because I have four incubators and not one is correct. It could be a setting is off just enough to weaken the ducklings so by the time they were to hatch, they died. I'm sorry because I know how disheartening that is!

 

[envious]

Hi,

Turning the eggs their last week is not necessary, but just a part of typical incubating procedures. They are large and more mobile and couldn't get stuck, so you could turn that off.

Do you have a hygrometer/thermometer to double-check your incubator settings? I ask because I have four incubators and not one is correct. It could be a setting is off just enough to weaken the ducklings so by the time they were to hatch, they died. I'm sorry because I know how disheartening that is!

Yes, I do, but I'm unsure exactly how accurate it still is. I only have one of each, and it matches what the incubator is reading, so I hope so. My parents (they can't read or write English) are the ones really raising them, and my father is very hard-headed and stubborn about everything, so he refuses to buy a better one because he considered it a "waste." He pretty much scoffs at the notion that it becomes inaccurate overtime and said I believe too much things I read online, despite it being the manual itself. I could buy it myself, but he would berate me and I hadn't figured out if it's worth having to hear it yet (which, is there one you would recommend? If it's something I could grab at Walmart, I could go and buy it and skip the lecture).

Speaking of incubators' inaccuracy, how exactly recalibrating works? Do you just keep setting it lower/higher than what it shows or is there like a secret mechanics you can adjust the readings to? I didn't see anything in the manual.

 

[McChooky]

I recommend the dry hatch method during incubation and adding water during lockdown to increase the humidity.Most people who try it like it better

 

[Debbie292d]

Yes, I do, but I'm unsure exactly how accurate it still is. I only have one of each, and it matches what the incubator is reading, so I hope so. My parents (they can't read or write English) are the ones really raising them, and my father is very hard-headed and stubborn about everything, so he refuses to buy a better one because he considered it a "waste." He pretty much scoffs at the notion that it becomes inaccurate overtime and said I believe too much things I read online, despite it being the manual itself. I could buy it myself, but he would berate me and I hadn't figured out if it's worth having to hear it yet (which, is there one you would recommend? If it's something I could grab at Walmart, I could go and buy it and skip the lecture).

Speaking of incubators' inaccuracy, how exactly recalibrating works? Do you just keep setting it lower/higher than what it shows or is there like a secret mechanics you can adjust the readings to? I didn't see anything in the manual.

What version of Maticoopx do you have? I wouldn't know how to change the settings on one I don't have without the manual, but maybe there's one online.

How you do it is if say you know your thermometer is correct, put that in the incubator. Wait about 10 minutes. If it reads 99.0F, and your incubator is set to 99.5F, you'd turn your incubator up to 100F, and that would actually be 99.5F according to your thermometer.

 

[envious]

I recommend the dry hatch method during incubation and adding water during lockdown to increase the humidity.Most people who try it like it better

I heard, but my father refuses to try it when I told him it was suggested. I think it stems from the fact my cousin managed to hatch her eggs in 80-100% humidity. I don't think my last batch of eggs drowned, though, because the membrane was dry.

 

[envious]

What version of Maticoopx do you have? I wouldn't know how to change the settings on one I don't have without the manual, but maybe there's one online.

How you do it is if say you know your thermometer is correct, put that in the incubator. Wait about 10 minutes. If it reads 99.0F, and your incubator is set to 99.5F, you'd turn your incubator up to 100F, and that would actually be 99.5F according to your thermometer.

I just bought it this year, so the most recent one? I have both the Maticoopx20 and 30

 

[Debbie292d]

I just bought it this year, so the most recent one? I have both the Maticoopx20 and 30

Assuming they both get changed the same, here's your manual for the 30: https://manuals.plus/asin/B09Y84KPNC

You'll have to figure out if your incubator is correct, then just try to hatch these as usual without trying anything different. At least you'll know that you can hatch them this way, ie. 99.5F throughout, 45-50% humidity until lockdown, then 65-70%. When they hatch, the humidity goes up. It's fine normally, but if it gets over 85%, I'd crack the lid for a few seconds about once per minute a few times. That should bring it back down some.

The hygrometer/thermometer many of us purchase is off of Amazon, and the Govee brand. If you have to sneak getting it at Walmart, just try looking those up online first to make sure it's a highly rated one. Not the cheapest, not the most expensive.

 

[envious]

Assuming they both get changed the same, here's your manual for the 30: https://manuals.plus/asin/B09Y84KPNC

You'll have to figure out if your incubator is correct, then just try to hatch these as usual without trying anything different. At least you'll know that you can hatch them this way, ie. 99.5F throughout, 45-50% humidity until lockdown, then 65-70%. When they hatch, the humidity goes up. It's fine normally, but if it gets over 85%, I'd crack the lid for a few seconds about once per minute a few times. That should bring it back down some.

The hygrometer/thermometer many of us purchase is off of Amazon, and the Govee brand. If you have to sneak getting it at Walmart, just try looking those up online first to make sure it's a highly rated one. Not the cheapest, not the most expensive.

Okay, thank you!

 

[McChooky]

I heard, but my father refuses to try it when I told him it was suggested. I think it stems from the fact my cousin managed to hatch her eggs in 80-100% humidity. I don't think my last batch of eggs drowned, though, because the membrane was dry.

Have you checked the ventilation? Is the fan working properly?