Hatching Duck Eggs right now - Questions....

[itsy]

Hey peeps -

I'm very familiar with hatching chicken eggs and quail eggs. These duck eggs are a first for me, however.

I have some french rouen's in the incubator and had a humidity issue (that I have never experienced) a couple days ago. I must have incorrectly shut the incubator (foam bator) and had a dry spell for a day. Not good.

The eggs are pipping right now but aren't making much noise. 3 have been sort of pipped since last night, but I could tell that the pip didn't actually break through the outer membrane. I decided to pick away at the shell of one of the pips and sure enough, the outer membrane is not broken. So I opened it up and the duck is still alive inside. The outer membrane is white and dry and the inner membrane has broken away from it and is hanging on to the duck inside, who broke through the inner membrane.

Is this what shrink wrapping is? I've never experienced it with chickens.

I know there is controversy over helping something out of an egg or not. I have helped both chickens and quail out of the egg with no issues....I'm wondering if I will have to do this with the ducks?

I opened the pip sections on two more. Same thing inside and the chicks are finally talking.

Any opinions?

 

[bargain]

Okay, I would wrap up damp towels and put them in the incubator to raise that humidity.... Also if you can do this without drowning the babies, look for cracks if NONE, dip in warm water and put back in .....quickly We usually dip our ducks before lockdown - it helps and good luck!

 

[itsy]

Bargain, thanks so much for your reply.

I have been dripping water over the inside membrane, taking care not to get it in their beaks. You can still see plump veins in the membrane. One seems to be thinning out, though.... So should I wrap them as they pip?

This has been a real learning experience with ducks. I am hatching these for a farmer friend. They were absolutely filthy when I got them, but I gently brushed off what I could and put them into the incubator this way. I didn't want to disturb the bloom. I was talking with other people who either rinse the eggs in hot water before incubating, or actually wash them. I decided to just brush off what poo/debris I could.

So if I were to wrap the eggs, the paper towel would get what was left on those eggs all watery.....yuck. It doesn't smell very pleasant to begin with.