hatching problems please Help!!!

[bossynbella]

This is our Third try at incubating duck eggs. Out of the 18 eggs we have incubated to term the first two times, all grew, 7 pipped. One lived and that was only with a TON of help.
I heard ducks take 28 days so the first time I took them out of the turner on day 25 only to find four pipped out of 8 eggs. Only one lived and only cause DH took it out of the shell compleatly. It still had some yolk attatched but eventually sucked it in and is now a happy 4 wk old duckling who thinks hes a silky. Humidity this time around was the same as for chickens because we had chicken eggs in there too. around 60% is what works best for our area with chicken eggs.
So second time I took them out on day 24 and again there where two already pipped out of ten eggs. One other pipped later. DH took one out of egg but it died three days later. None of the ten lived. We kept the humidity higher this time around 70%
This time we have been spraying them with warm water twice a day. I took them out of the turner on day 23 and again there where two pipped out of 10 eggs. I told DH DO NOT TOUCH THEM. That was yesterday morning. As of this morning. Neither look any farther along. However this is only day 24. How long do I wait? We are getting so frustrated with this. Why are ducks so much harder then chickens??? The humidity has flucuated more this time I think because of the spraying Right after spraying it will be around 80% right before spraying its closer to 60%

Please help how long do I leave them alone once they pip? And What do you think we are doing wrong? They are in a Circulated air incubator till we stop turning then they go into the little giant still air. This has worked great for the chickens.

HELP SAVE MY DUCKLINGS!
Melissa

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
I don't hatch but I suspect your incubation temperature might be high causing the birds to pip before they are fully developed. I expect experts to tell me I am wrong but maybe they will leave some helpful information for you.

 

[Bird Brain]

No, I have read the same thing about the temp. Started hatching recently myself and have lowered my temp because I have had chickens starting to pip on day 19, and beleive I have lost a few because of that (one died yesterday). My first duck came out yesterday on its own, I wasnt expecting them till Monday. Another one piped last night but hasnt done anything else, but its still alive in there.

Temp too hi. Your bator forced or still air?

 

[bossynbella]

I have heard that too. Maybe I will try lowering my temps but we keep the circulated air one at or below (usually below) 99.5 it is usually closer to 95then to 99.
Oh I just want my duckies to hatch!

 

[Bird Brain]

I dont know if it needs to be that low. Wow. Mine was on 101 and I was getting over acheivers, and like i said, I lost at least 2 because of it, and 2 had leg strength issues. I dont know if temp caused that or not though. But now I am at 99 and my duck hatched a little early and another one hopefully in the works.

 

[goosedragon]

Might I also suggest that the thermometer in the forced air incubator might be reading lower than actual since others agree that high temp can be the cause of your problems.

 

[Bird Brain]

didnt think of that. Would eggs develop at 95 degrees?

 

[bossynbella]

We have thought of the thermometer thing and have 3 different digital thermometers in there all read to within a degree of each other. so I don't think that is the problem. I can hear my baby ducks peeping in the eggs I just hope they get out!
Melissa

 

[CorralitosSunflower]

Hi! So your temp is 99.5 in general during the incubating period? How often do you check throughout the day, because perhaps it fluxuates and gets warmer during the day causing the early pippers. Do you lower it to 98.5 after day 25? The humidity also needs to be raised at this point up to 80% There should not be water dripping down the sides of your bator but you should see a little condensation towards the lower parts of the bator. If all of this was correct (temp and humidity) for your previous hatches I would lower your initial temp to 99 degrees since you have had such early pippers. Who knows why but for some reason that temp doesn't work for you, stranger things have happened. I would also look into where your eggs are coming from. Are the parents related? Are they healthy? It may be a problem unrelated to your incubating since you have hatched healthy chicks. I would try a hatch using a different source of eggs all together. So sorry this has been such a difficult experience for you

 

[bossynbella]

We kept records the first few times now we just look in a few times a day. It fluctuates between 98 and 99.9 never seen it at 100.
The first hatch was 1/2 call duck and 1/2 runner duck. That is the one where we got one baby. We tried these same eggs last year under silky hens to no luck what so ever they never even fully developed thought they would start (veins and such) then nothing.
The last hatch and the one that is starting now are pure Call eggs. The Parent ducks are unrelated. We have a 3 yr old White Drake and a 1yr old Grey drake and two year old Snowy ducks. The Girls are sisters but the rest are unrelated. The mix duck that did hatch had the grey as a dad. Our runner duck was killed by something so I can't try more of those eggs.


Also These two duck eggs pipped yesterday by Noon at the latest. I heard one cheaping earlier around 2 and saw the egg rock. I have seen and heard nothing since. And neither are any farther along. This seems to be what keeps happening. How long can they live after pipping before they start working there way around?

yesterday I had no problem with humidity now today it has cooled down here and the humidity has dropped. I keep lifting a vent cover and spraying in with the spray bottle I can't think of anything else to do but I can't keep the humidity over 75% and it keeps dropping down to 65%!

Melissa
Edited to add I went to spray into the holes again and noticed I have one more pipped. I just wish one would hatch but its only day 25.