Eggs pipping early

[Cooksey]

I am helping Muscovy ducklings out of the shell because this very hard glue like stuff will kill them. What is wrong and how do I soften that stuff?? 35 days now

 

[WVduckchick]

I am helping Muscovy ducklings out of the shell because this very hard glue like stuff will kill them. What is wrong and how do I soften that stuff?? 35 days now

Do you mean in the shell, or on their body after they hatch?

 

[Cooksey]

Do you mean in the shell, or on their body after they hatch?

 

[Cooksey]

After I helped it out of the shell

 

[janz70]

all pipped eggs are hatched now - 7 out of 9
4 yellow (white campbells)
2 dark
1 khaki
2 that never pipped were fully formed

 

[Miss Lydia]

Congrats on your hatch and sorry about the two that never pipped. Pics when you can.

 

[IamRainey]

I was a first time hatcher 2 weeks ago too. My chicken eggs hatched on day 18. Fortunately, I had just ceased the rotation and put in the hatching mat but they simply weren't reading the rules right!

One thing I noticed is that I overfilled the external reservoir and the eggs had max humidity from about the start. Still, of 7 eggs I got 5 chicks and early or not, they're all healthy at 2 weeks. They also all hatched with 24 hours. The ones that didn't hatch got 5 more days but just couldn't finish the deed. Maybe they needed more rotation until the time was better for them....

Also interesting to me is that they all had a single rooster but at least 3 different breed hens: a Cream Legbar, an Orpington and a Wyandotte (at least). Maybe a Plymouth Rock as well. Nevertheless, however different in size and other characteristics the hens are, the chicks are about as identical as they could be at this point.

 

[WVduckchick]

After I helped it out of the shell

I usually take a damp sponge, just water, or maybe a little coconut oil to get the goopy stuff away from the eyes, beak, nares, face area. And the wings if necessary. Then dry rub the body. Some people bathe them, but the stuff flakes off pretty well when they start preening themselves, and bathing is subject to chilling them. So I choose not to get them wet unless absolutely necessary.

 

[Miss Lydia]

 

[janz70]

sorry people been very busy at work here are the little duckies unfortunately one of the kharkis died - bless it but other are thriving and are greedy noisy little beggars