From eggs to ducklings

[Knighstar679]

Sounds like a plan!

MD2’s CAM is slower developing, but it’s still early, so should be ok. Don’t stop turning it. When you turn, place your flashlight on it before you roll it. And try getting it to invade that area. Roll whichever way gets it to gravitate that way, if that makes sense. If you watch as you roll, and for a few seconds after, you can actually watch the network of blood vessels move toward the top. Pretty cool to see actually.

So I looked in with my flashlight tonight when I did a turn and noticed I have a few eggs which have air sacs that followed with the move to the side. I believe I am supposed to set them up in a carton again to fix that type of thing , but are their other options to fix it.

Also little MD 2 is already looking a little better today when I peaked at him.

 

[Knighstar679]

Did a ten day candle and have now culled down to 13 eggs all Welsh Harlequin. My Rouen/Cayuga crosses and Cayugas just didn’t take though most were fertile. The rest of the 22 Welshes were either clears or early quitters. It is pretty cool to see th duckling in the egg moving. I could even see a bill shape in one that was positioned just right.

 

[Knighstar679]

It is day 14!!!
I did a candle today. Everyone had movement which was super exciting.

Now I have four very concerning eggs out of the batch of 13. My 4 Texas eggs have eggs air cells are all goofy, plus they look darker and like they have a lot less space than my Maryland eggs.


The Maryland eggs look I think where they should be for day 14 and are included at the bottom.

Are my Texas and Maryland really far apart in growth now? What should I do to help with these air cells? As some of them have dipped down into the mid egg.

 

[Knighstar679]

Tiny update;

I have been looking about trying to figure out what’s going on with my Texas eggs. Well tonight I think I got a clue.

I stared comparing air cell sizes verses average days that it should be at in pictures. As near as I can tell my Texas eggs are between 18-20 days and still moving as of today. Means I could be looking at ducklings by the end of the week!

 

[Knighstar679]

What should be day 18 for my eggs.
Maryland is still looking good with jumping little embroys inside them. They got moved to my Chinabator so that I can do lock down with Texas WH eggs. I am hoping that I am reading the lines right and that I didn't jump the gun on putting them into lock down.

Pictures Included of the drawn air cell lines. They have MUCH deeper air cells than my Maryland eggs.

I wonder if I should up the Humidity to 70% just to make the change more drastic from the 42% average I incubated at.

 

[Knighstar679]

Officially we are on day 23 for my Welsh Harlequin eggs but my Texas eggs are closer to 25 or 27. Great new we have our first external pip!

I was adding water to the bator this morning and put each one to my ear and listened for tapping. One peeped at me the others just tapped. The I felt this rough part and noticed that the one I had thought was behind the others actually pipped outside the shell.


You can just see it in the picture. But I upped the humidity a bit more and closed up. Now to wait!

 

[Knighstar679]

Three little eggs have been rocking on and off all day. My first external pip has made its opening a little bigger but not by much. SOOOO hard not to keep going in and checking on the eggs in the incubator that are hatching. But so far I have been good and only opened it to add in some extra water to keep humidity high. I just want to keep going in and checking to see if more egg has been chipped off tho. I need to get a new hobby, but there isn't anything to binge watch on netflix or hulu right now, and i am fresh out of books to read. hoping for a hatch this time around with these ones.

I put my Maryland eggs into a dry incubator until tomorrow because they were not quite where they needed to be in relation to the air cell for a egg about to go into lock down on day 25 in the next day or so. I am hoping that it helps pull it down just enough to help out by the time I lockdown on them Thursday.

 

[WVduckchick]

Excellent. Keep in mind that ducks will make multiple pips and bumps on the shell before they fully start zipping, so don’t be alarmed. They like to knock around a little while getting into position.

 

[Knighstar679]

Excellent. Keep in mind that ducks will make multiple pips and bumps on the shell before they fully start zipping, so don’t be alarmed. They like to knock around a little while getting into position.

Just working on keeping the humidity high right now. I don't want anything drying out inside the shell. So far I have managed it to stay in the 60's today. But the one little pip spot looks a little like it might be trying out so I added water to the bottom of the tank to help with that. Hopefully it keeps it up just enough to keep thing smooth for the little guys. I have also kept a spray bottle in there for if I have opened it to add water I spray to off set the opening of the bator.

The Dry humidity seems to have helped the Maryland eggs drop down some on their air cells still not exactly perfect but better than were it was two days ago when I put them back into the one bator. I am even starting to see little pokes against the membranes in them now that the air cells have grown larger. Some are also very active at doing it and others are looking like they are just shifting about some.

 

[Knighstar679]

Two more external pips from the other eggs now. The first one no change since yesterday afternoon when it gave itself a bit bigger opening. The other two opened larger pips than the first one did.

Worried the first one may dry out. But trying to leave it alone until it has done nothing for 24 hours.