Does anyone have experience with hatching ducklings? I have khaki Campbells in the incubator day 29 3 pipped but 3 have a spot turning black??? Is that just a sign of an internal pip?
First time hatchers hatch A-long!
- Thread starter Weeg
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Weeg
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I have never incubated ducklings, but I've had quite the fiasco with mother ducks brooding ducklings were I had to get involved. I wont go into the whole story, but i'll see if I can help!
To me, that grey spot looks rotten. What day are you on? Lockdown? To summarize what happened to me, I had a shared nest that 3 ducks were sitting on. They fought over the nest and all the eggs died, some fully formed, and eventually broke from being stepped on. At the time I had no experience to know what was going on and why nothing was hatching, but your egg in the picture looks the same as the ones that rotted with my mommas. Did you candle the eggs before lockdown? Were all of them showing signs of movement and life? Its really hard to know without candling though. I hope I'm wrong!
Ps. I could easily be wrong! This is really just a guess from my personal experience.
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- #303
Weeg
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Goodness, I just looked thorough this post and realized all my spelling errors, sorry guys hahah! I was typing fast lol!
To instead of not
Day instead of had.
Chickenwingwing
Songster
Hi! Sorry I stopped getting notifications 
... Congrats everyone!!!
@Duck Love88 I think I've read posts that say the bruise is from pipping but failing, IDK though.
... Congrats everyone!!!@Duck Love88 I think I've read posts that say the bruise is from pipping but failing, IDK though.
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- #305
Weeg
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I hope your right! I definitely didn't get expert experience about the bruise, so I could easily be wrong. What I said before was just personal observation, hopefully your baby pips soon!Hi! Sorry I stopped getting notifications
@Duck Love88 I think I've read posts that say the bruise is from pipping but failing, IDK though.
Chickenwingwing
Songster
Could it be this? The bruising was mentioned in the Assisted Hatching article:
Head in Wrong End of Egg
This malposition commonly results from an egg being set small end up in the turner instead of large end up, so it is very important to make sure that you are setting the eggs correctly in the turner. In this malposition, the chick is facing the wrong way in the egg. They will end up externally pipping at the wrong end of the egg, where of course there is no air cell. Just like a Facing Away From Air Cell chick, you will need allow more time before worrying that they are in need of help, and again, they usually can hatch all on their own. You can open the egg over the air cell to assess how far along absorbing is if it is seeming like the chick needs help. Make sure you're allowing plenty of time before doing this because most of the time, they get out on their own just fine with no interference needed.
With duck eggs, especially Call eggs, sometimes the duckling cannot externally pip the shell, but you will see evidence that it has tried. The shell will look like it has a bruise.
Picture by @casportpony
In this case, you will need to very carefully open the shell over the bruise. Start by making a small hole with your screw and then widen it until you can find the beak so that the duckling can breathe.
Picture by @casportpony
After you find the beak, apply coconut oil to any internal membrane you have exposed so that it does not dry out. Hopefully the duckling can take it from here. If not, and this will be common with Calls because of their short necks and beaks, you will need to go for the full assist. Just as with other assists, open the shell over the air cell so you can monitor absorption. In this case, you will probably also be able to see the yolk and will be able to know when that has absorbed too. Here is a picture of a backwards chick that is still absorbing. You can see the veins, the yolk, and the leftover embryonic waste.
Once everything is absorbed, you will likely need to finish hatching the duckling out because with no bottom shell to push on it won't have the leverage to get itself out. Since you can see everything absorbing, wait until it's done, and then open the egg and take the duckling out.
Head in Wrong End of Egg
This malposition commonly results from an egg being set small end up in the turner instead of large end up, so it is very important to make sure that you are setting the eggs correctly in the turner. In this malposition, the chick is facing the wrong way in the egg. They will end up externally pipping at the wrong end of the egg, where of course there is no air cell. Just like a Facing Away From Air Cell chick, you will need allow more time before worrying that they are in need of help, and again, they usually can hatch all on their own. You can open the egg over the air cell to assess how far along absorbing is if it is seeming like the chick needs help. Make sure you're allowing plenty of time before doing this because most of the time, they get out on their own just fine with no interference needed.
With duck eggs, especially Call eggs, sometimes the duckling cannot externally pip the shell, but you will see evidence that it has tried. The shell will look like it has a bruise.
Picture by @casportpony
In this case, you will need to very carefully open the shell over the bruise. Start by making a small hole with your screw and then widen it until you can find the beak so that the duckling can breathe.
Picture by @casportpony
After you find the beak, apply coconut oil to any internal membrane you have exposed so that it does not dry out. Hopefully the duckling can take it from here. If not, and this will be common with Calls because of their short necks and beaks, you will need to go for the full assist. Just as with other assists, open the shell over the air cell so you can monitor absorption. In this case, you will probably also be able to see the yolk and will be able to know when that has absorbed too. Here is a picture of a backwards chick that is still absorbing. You can see the veins, the yolk, and the leftover embryonic waste.
Once everything is absorbed, you will likely need to finish hatching the duckling out because with no bottom shell to push on it won't have the leverage to get itself out. Since you can see everything absorbing, wait until it's done, and then open the egg and take the duckling out.
They are in lockdown on day 29. 3 others have pipped so far and I want to help but I don't want to cause the others harm in hatching. I candled before hatching and this one I put a WW for wiggling before I put it into lockdown and the one I've been mostly watching with the most movement from the 2nd week on. Weird I know but while candling it was always the most active and the one my daughter could see the most of. Im hoping for the best. If the ones that are pipped come out and no other one pip by them im going to try to intervene... I dont want to cause them to shrinkwrapI have never incubated ducklings, but I've had quite the fiasco with mother ducks brooding ducklings were I had to get involved. I wont go into the whole story, but i'll see if I can help!
To me, that grey spot looks rotten. What day are you on? Lockdown? To summarize what happened to me, I had a shared nest that 3 ducks were sitting on. They fought over the nest and all the eggs died, some fully formed, and eventually broke from being stepped on. At the time I had no experience to know what was going on and why nothing was hatching, but your egg in the picture looks the same as the ones that rotted with my mommas. Did you candle the eggs before lockdown? Were all of them showing signs of movement and life? Its really hard to know without candling though. I hope I'm wrong!
Ps. I could easily be wrong! This is really just a guess from my personal experience.
- Thread starter
- #308
Weeg
Enabler
You may be right. It looks like its pipping over the air cell though, and the bruises are a bit different color, but it could be it. Hopefully he pips soon! How long has is been since you saw this bruise @Duck Love88? You could make a safety hole just in case. I'll post a link to that article.Could it be this? The bruising was mentioned in the Assisted Hatching article:
Head in Wrong End of Egg
This malposition commonly results from an egg being set small end up in the turner instead of large end up, so it is very important to make sure that you are setting the eggs correctly in the turner. In this malposition, the chick is facing the wrong way in the egg. They will end up externally pipping at the wrong end of the egg, where of course there is no air cell. Just like a Facing Away From Air Cell chick, you will need allow more time before worrying that they are in need of help, and again, they usually can hatch all on their own. You can open the egg over the air cell to assess how far along absorbing is if it is seeming like the chick needs help. Make sure you're allowing plenty of time before doing this because most of the time, they get out on their own just fine with no interference needed.
With duck eggs, especially Call eggs, sometimes the duckling cannot externally pip the shell, but you will see evidence that it has tried. The shell will look like it has a bruise.
Picture by @casportpony
In this case, you will need to very carefully open the shell over the bruise. Start by making a small hole with your screw and then widen it until you can find the beak so that the duckling can breathe.
Picture by @casportpony
After you find the beak, apply coconut oil to any internal membrane you have exposed so that it does not dry out. Hopefully the duckling can take it from here. If not, and this will be common with Calls because of their short necks and beaks, you will need to go for the full assist. Just as with other assists, open the shell over the air cell so you can monitor absorption. In this case, you will probably also be able to see the yolk and will be able to know when that has absorbed too. Here is a picture of a backwards chick that is still absorbing. You can see the veins, the yolk, and the leftover embryonic waste.
Once everything is absorbed, you will likely need to finish hatching the duckling out because with no bottom shell to push on it won't have the leverage to get itself out. Since you can see everything absorbing, wait until it's done, and then open the egg and take the duckling out.
- Thread starter
- #309
Weeg
Enabler
If it was moving and obviously alive, you can assume I am wrong and this is a bruise from pipping. After looking at that article, I agree with @Chickenwingwing. Maybe look into making a safety hole over that bruise. I'll post the article, that will give a lot of info.
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- #310
Weeg
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