Egg incubating fiasco - advice please! *New Pictures!*

[gofasterstripe]

If you keep opening what ever you have for a lid your letting the moisture out and it pulls is out the pip in the shell and will shrink wrap your duckling. You need to yank that humidity up, close what ever you use for a lid and leave it. Im starting to think that if ytou have opened the bator a few times then your chick is already staring to shrink wrap and isnt going to make it out on its own. When did it pip

 

[AdamD77]

I haven't opened it since around 3am when I replaced some of the humidity stuff. I'm going to try and not open it except for that reason. What can I do other than just replacing/re-spraying the towels etc that are in there? I did see it pushing some more around an hour ago so the crack has gotten bigger and its cheeping a lot. It was around half six yesterday evening that it must have made that first crack... I guess if it gets to around that time again today with not much improvements I may have to intervene?

 

[gofasterstripe]

I htink thats a great idea, it would be a pity for them to get this far then die in the egg. Just take the top off, snatch the egg out and help it. Oh and you do know we will need lots of photos too

 

[FenDruadin]

It sounds like your little one is doing great. They often will expand the pip a bit and then rest again. I would NOT intervene at 6 tonight. Intervening too early causes way more problems than it solves. Unless you see warning signs (more on that shortly), give the egg 48 hours from the first pip.

Warning signs:
* The baby's cheeps seem to be getting weaker rather than stronger (the baby will sleep some and may sometimes be more active & louder than others, so don't let a temporary decrease in activity fool you) over time. This can be a sign that the baby is declining and you may be able to help it by getting it out of the shell.
* The baby's bill appears to be full of moisture or it is blowing bubbles or sounds garbled. This can be a sign that it is too weak to keep its bill above the remaining moisture in the egg and you may need to rush to help it.
* The baby is actively working on the shell for an extended period (an hour or more), chipping & working, but not making any actual progress. This usually means that the membrane has dried out and you may have to help it get the rest of the way out. This ONLY applies if the baby has been working its bill in and out and obviously attempting to make progress. Otherwise, it is just resting.

If you're worried, post here and wait for several responses before doing anything. The danger in acting too soon is two-fold. The baby is still absorbing the yolk and may not be ready--hatched too soon, it may absorb impurities along with the yolk leading to internal infection, or it may dry out and not be able to absorb the yolk at all and be weak and fail to thrive. The second danger is more acute--the blood vessels inside the membrane may still be actively circulating and you will have to tear through them to get the baby out, and the baby can bleed to death very quickly.

Having said all that, let me just add: Yours sounds absolutely textbook, and I think the most likely scenario is that he will be out of there in the next 24 hours, healthy & sound. Good luck!

 

[stargazingmommy]

gah. I have to go to bed. I want to stay up and follow this though grrrrr

 

[AdamD77]

^ Oh no! Don't worry, it'll probably do something really late so you'll see it

And of course, if anything does happen, looooads of photos!

Thanks for all your advice you guys

I really appreciate it! Okay, I will not do anything tonight then. I'm checking every hour or so. So far, not much different from when it cracked a bit more earlier. Like I said, the only thing that has me worried is that there is no actual hole, just a big crack - I haven't seen any bill or anything stick out, is that normal? By the way, when I open to do anything inside there with humidity etc, I only open the corner big enough to fit my arm through, I've never opened the whole lid! Plus the fact that the other egg with the earlier due date hasn't done anything, is there still a chance it'll hatch?

 

[FenDruadin]

Just being cracked is exactly what you should see at this point. Here is what I *usually* see with duck eggs:

* Tiny dent, variable in size but usually hard to see unless you know what you're looking for
* Several hours later, *sometimes* the dent will expand into more of a crack
* 18 to 40 hours later, the dent expands into an actual hole where I begin to see bill poking out--sometimes
* 30 minutes to 4 hours later, the bill begins actively working, expanding the hole and then working its way around the top of the egg in a line.
* 30 minutes to 2 hours later, the line goes most of the way around the top and the baby begins pushing on the top
* 15 minutes to 1 hour later, the baby succeeds in pushing the top off and begins trying to extricate its head from the egg
* 15 minutes to 1 hour later, the baby pushes its head up and out and begins trying to pop the rest of the way out (if the egg is on its side, this often happens simultaneously)
* 15 minutes to 1 hour later, the baby is out and spastically flopping around the incubator with no coordination at all, looking like a string puppet with a crazy child at the controls
* 30 minutes to 1 hour later, the baby has gained some physical control and appears almost normal, but still weak and wet.

Variations from this "plan" are also normal, unless, again, you see real warning signs. With exceptions, eggs that pip externally usually make it all the way out. The externally pipped one has already passed the most dangerous portions of the hatch, and now just needs to rest and gain strength before finishing the job.

The second egg may or may not make it. When I have a large hatch, I will sometimes have eggs that pip as much as 3 days apart. So I would give it a while longer.

Meanwhile, you're doing just fine, and so is the egg. Find something to do with yourself for a while and move. away. from. the. incubator.

Seriously, you'll be much happier in another city for a few hours.

 

[AdamD77]

Was just about to start writing when I heard a crack! Another piece is cracked, but still no proper pip to the outside world yet. Again, lots of very cute peeping

Also, I forgot to mention that when I was listening earlier it sounded like more than one was tapping, so while I was opening to spray to increase humidity I candled vaguely and could see the beak of #13 in the air sack

Hope it's okay...

Thanks for all that advice! It has made me feel much better about it all. I agree, I should leave town for a day or two

I've been pretty good and just checking hourly, with about 5/10 mins sitting and watching each time... It could be a lot worse!

I'll keep an eye out for those warning signs. I guess if it started yesterday evening, I should be worried by about Friday afternoon?

 

[FenDruadin]

Sounds like both are doing great--pipping into the air sac is difficult and it's always a good sign if they get that far. The next big step for the second one is the external pip and it will come in time. Sounds really good so far.

If the second one is not done by Friday afternoon, yes, you should be worried. I really think everything is going perfectly swimmingly and that you will know more by tomorrow afternoon.

 

[1234duck]

AdamD77... How far along are your eggs again? }}}When is 28 Days/Hatch Day? ~Julie~