From eggs to ducklings

[Knighstar679]

Try candling down into the air cell in addition to the pointed end.

Do you have the eggs in an automatic turner or laying down hand turning?

Until the CAM gets fully developed, the yolk and blood vessels will appear to stay in one area. This is why turning is so important.

This is half way thru a turn. It’s not as obvious on eggs standing upright.
View attachment 1446151

Best of luck with the hatch!!

I have a manual version of a auto turner. What this means is the eggs are staying upright but tilted similar to the auto turners I have seen. So they are rocked back and forth 9 times right now.

I do candle into the big end that is how I found the air cell. These are shipped eggs and a couple have done this yolk air cell thing but are developing. If I candle straight into the combo the egg tints yellow and the development is less visible.

Should I lay these ones on their side to turn for a few days and see if it gets better. I have been turning 9 times a day right now because I read you get better hatch rates with more turns done in the first ten days.

Thank you for your response

 

[WVduckchick]

Shipped eggs can be rough on air cells. Are you saying the air cell moves or no? If the air cells are stable in the far end where they belong, it is safe to lay them down if you want, but not necessary. I prefer duck eggs laying down now, but I’ve done them upright also.
Maybe one set of eggs were fresher when you got them so the air cells look smaller? Or different areas of the country and flock nutrition can affect the shell, and therefore the rate at which they lose moisture. And also how well you can see into them. Even the same breed can look different depending on the shell quality. Hopefully it’s just early and they will look better later.

 

[Knighstar679]

All the eggs I am talking about came from the same area and were gathered Sunday before shipping.

I am including pictures of my turner and 5 of my eggs. I am worried I have lost WHTX8.

I did take pics of a few both on their sides and upright. Let me know which position they might do best in. I am willing to do it

 

[WVduckchick]

6 looks very early along, but possibly developing.
7 looks like it has a very deep saddle and possibly beginning a blood ring.
8 looks good to me!
9 & 10 look clear, unless they are earlier along, and 10 has a saddle.

Tilt looks ok. I would also slightly reposition each egg toward the downward tilt each time, so they get the maximum incline without falling out.

 

[Knighstar679]

6 looks very early along, but possibly developing.
7 looks like it has a very deep saddle and possibly beginning a blood ring.
8 looks good to me!
9 & 10 look clear, unless they are earlier along, and 10 has a saddle.

Tilt looks ok. I would also slightly reposition each egg toward the downward tilt each time, so they get the maximum incline without falling out.

I will see what I can do to increase the incline of the rotation.
But there isn’t much I can do about the saddle air sacs is there?

 

[WVduckchick]

I will see what I can do to increase the incline of the rotation.
But there isn’t much I can do about the saddle air sacs is there?

Hopefully the saddles will reattach, but they should still be ok. I try to put the saddle perpendicular to the tilt, I've seen it help some.

 

[Knighstar679]

Hopefully the saddles will reattach, but they should still be ok. I try to put the saddle perpendicular to the tilt, I've seen it help some.

I went and got a bigger doll rod and made new turners to increase the angle of the tilt. I still have to find the saddle eggs and set them up perpendicular to the tilt but I didn’t want to leave them out much longer.

I did a fast candle to see where the two sets of eggs where on growing. I think they maybe as much as two or three days apart. That darn Texas heat.

I have pics of a few and my new turner let me know what you think.

 

[WVduckchick]

I went and got a bigger doll rod and made new turners to increase the angle of the tilt. I still have to find the saddle eggs and set them up perpendicular to the tilt but I didn’t want to leave them out much longer.

I did a fast candle to see where the two sets of eggs where on growing. I think they maybe as much as two or three days apart. That darn Texas heat.

I have pics of a few and my new turner let me know what you think.

Great idea for turning! I’ve never used cartons, and I’ve read that some folks don’t like using the paper cartons, but I can’t remember the reasons. Maybe drawing moisture? Also do you have holes cut in the bottom of the cartons? I wonder about circulation. Just a thought.

And the eggs look good too. Funny that the one group looks a bit ahead. Maybe they will even out by the time hatch day comes. Do you move them around as far as where they sit in the incubator? Maybe you have some varying temperatures causing one set to develop quicker?

 

[Knighstar679]

Great idea for turning! I’ve never used cartons, and I’ve read that some folks don’t like using the paper cartons, but I can’t remember the reasons. Maybe drawing moisture? Also do you have holes cut in the bottom of the cartons? I wonder about circulation. Just a thought.

And the eggs look good too. Funny that the one group looks a bit ahead. Maybe they will even out by the time hatch day comes. Do you move them around as far as where they sit in the incubator? Maybe you have some varying temperatures causing one set to develop quicker?

I didn’t think to put holes in the bottom for more air flow but I could certainly do that.

I have been moving them around the incubator but all my temp readings are about equal now. I have been running 4 one in each corner and two in the center to check temp. I will likely keep rotating them around the incubator once a day to to be safe tho.

The Texas eggs had higher temps when they shipped to me 85-95 degree days and they were packed in a way that would have held in heat. The Maryland eggs shipped and we only had 75 degree days during shipping and used newspapers instead of packing peanuts so more heat could escape.

 

[Knighstar679]

Here is day five with two of the four eggs I am following.
WHTX6 looks like it is just slow to start, while WHMD12 looks to me like it is going strong.
No update on the other eggs today.
But excited about the welsh eggs going