First time hatching using a incubator (Duck eggs)

[My15Ducks]

I thought it would be bad to open the incubator as it would risk the birds that have already pipped?

If you are quick to open and close the incubator it should be safe. You can also mist some water in the incubator to quickly boost the humidity. I’ve done that many times and have never had a duckling get shrink wrapped

 

[Vixen with Chickens]

So I candled the two eggs that where not moving at all yet, one was dead fully formed having pipped internally already and I guess ran out of air the other was alive still! So I made a small air hole and put them back in. I also added a air hole to a egg that had been the first to start moving in the egg but had stopped rolling yesterday completely which had me worried so air for them too.

On the bright side while doing this one chick has decided now is the time and started zipping! So I am getting to watch my first egg hatch live! I upped the humidity since I was opening the incubator so many times to take eggs in and out

 

[paintedChix]

What's happening now? (O, with time difference, you may be sleeping?)

I've never hatched ducks & would like to try that...

 

[Vixen with Chickens]

What's happening now? (O, with time difference, you may be sleeping?)

I've never hatched ducks & would like to try that...

The other egg that pipped hatched after I went to sleep so had two ducklings this morning. This evening I made the holes bigger on the eggs I added air holes too, I can now see their beak and they are still "chewing" which means they are still absorbing their yolk and not ready yet. But they do seem to be shrink wrapped.

so I'm going to keep humidity high and try to help them when all their veins are gine as there still seems to be some small ones. The ducklings where moved over to the brooder after they where dry, since they where playing too much fußball with the eggs

I see I made a mistake in adding newspaper to the bedding, it's newspaper covered in beech wood chips. They are trying to eat the parts of the newspaper sticking out the sides. I tore what I could off to stop them eating it.

I Dipped their beaks in the water and they drank a lot. They are hungry but dipping their beaks into the food bowl didn't work but they ate their food when I put it on my hand.

They huddled next to the heat plate until I pushed them under it and then they learned they can go there to be warm. Lol

Hope this was helpful!

 

[Vixen with Chickens]

Day 31, helped one out of the egg who finished absorbing their veins. Peeled the shell more of the other and put melted coconut oil on the membrane.

 

[Vixen with Chickens]

The last one hatched by itself with the help from the coconut oil though I had to help it after as it still had the membrane stuck to its face gluing it to its neck.

But there is a problem its foot and leg are messed up and it can't walk just falls. This seems worse than just a curled foot. Is there anything I can do? Or is it a normal curled foot and I can just boot it?

 

[Vixen with Chickens]

I made them a shoe with cardboard and tape and it is helping them a lot. not sure how long it should be on though.

 

[Vixen with Chickens]

Looks like one day was enough! :O
I had to take her shoe off this morning after she accidentally got it wet and her foot is not curled to the side anymore!

She is not falling all the time and can run and walk normal now!

So from 8 eggs we got 4 little ducklings!
Now just hoping they are all female!

 

[Vixen with Chickens]

Just a little update on the babies, they imprinted on our sweet old lady dog who is dying of cancer. She never had puppies but you could say she finally became a mother before the end.