First Time Duck Hatcher Needing Help

[Sophie27691]

Hi all, first time Hatcher here looking for advice!

We have 7 mallard duck eggs that we have been incubating since they lost their mother. We're currently on day 28 having gone into lockdown on day 25.

I know I'm probably being impatient but not a lot has happened. As far as I'm aware there hasn't been an internal pip and certainly no external pip.

Is there anything I should be looking to do to ensure they're all still alive? Obviously since lockdown we haven't taken them out to candle them but have shone a torch through the side of the incubator and there is a large air sac but no pipping.

I'm worried the humidity isn't high enough as our incubator doesn't have a humidity control level, only a temp control level. Their temp is now 37.2°c (lowered down from 37.5°c since lockdown).

Has anyone else ever experienced late arrivals? If so, how late? Is it common?

Thanks in advance,
Sophie

 

[Pyxis]

Mallards, being a bantam, usually hatch earlier than 28 days. They take 26 days to hatch. So, your ducklings are definitely late.

When you candle, do you see any kind of movement at all? My thoughts would be either the temperature was actually too low so development was slowed down, or that humidity has been wrong throughout incubation, which unfortunately will cause a late death

Did you check your incubator's temperature against a calibrated thermometer you know is accurate?

 

[Sophie27691]

Mallards, being a bantam, usually hatch earlier than 28 days. They take 26 days to hatch. So, your ducklings are definitely late.

When you candle, do you see any kind of movement at all? My thoughts would be either the temperature was actually too low so development was slowed down, or that humidity has been wrong throughout incubation, which unfortunately will cause a late death

Did you check your incubator's temperature against a calibrated thermometer you know is accurate?

Hi Pyxis,

Thanks for your response. I'm not sure what you mean by mallard bantam ducks? They're not bantam ducks, just mallard. The usual hatch cycle is 28 days from everything that I've read up on so far.

They were last candled on day 24 with lots of movement.

I haven't used a thermometer unfortunately. What with this current coronavirus lockdown I haven't been able to get out and about to purchase one.

 

[Pyxis]

Hi Pyxis,

Thanks for your response. I'm not sure what you mean by mallard bantam ducks? They're not bantam ducks, just mallard. The usual hatch cycle is 28 days from everything that I've read up on so far.

They were last candled on day 24 with lots of movement.

I haven't used a thermometer unfortunately. What with this current coronavirus lockdown I haven't been able to get out and about to purchase one.

Mallards are classed as a bantam duck breed They take 26 days to hatch. 28 days is for large fowl breeds, like pekins, rouens, khaki campbells, etc etc.

The bantam breeds, like mallards, Calls, BEI - those take around 26 days to hatch.