Help! Duck eggs wobbling day 23...do I stop turning and lockdown early?!

[bex1983]

Hi guys!

This is my first time incubating eggs. I have 10 duck eggs in the incubator and all are rocking pretty hard today, Day 23. I got the eggs from my neighbor who also just incubated a batch of eggs from her duck and hers started pipping on day 24/25 and hatched day 25/26. Should I expect the same of these? Should I stop turning and lockdown early? Bah this is so stressful!! The 4 I noticed moving last night I didn’t do their last turn of the day in case I shouldn’t and this morning after I turned the rest again all were moving. I candled the moving ones and they may have had internal pips but I didn’t hear peeping so I think I can just see their little beaks working at it ‍

I’ve had the incubator (forced air) set and running at 37.5 (99.5)/37.6 (99.6), turning every 4 hours except overnight, at day 10 began cooling and misting once a day, humidity has been tough it was high at first and the air sacs seemed small at day 7 and 10 so I ran dry for a bit, then I brought it back to 55 a couple of days ago and yesterday some of the air sacs look too big and I’m still struggling to keep the humidity at one steady number, but higher is easier to keep the way this incubator has it’s water tray.

So long story short, is this way too early (did I do something wrong), and now what, do stop turning, do I still cool and mist until day 25? Do I lockdown now even though it seems early?

This is going to be a stressful 5 more days

And somehow I got myself into the predicament of 12 more eggs arriving in the mail tomorrow...but that’s a story for another time haha

 

[DuckyDonna]

@WVduckchick is really good at this so maybe she'll be able to help you. What kind of ducks are you incubating? Something in my mind tells me that some breeds take shorter to incubate but I can't remember which it is. Muscovy maybe?

 

[bex1983]

The duck who laid most if not all is a Black Swedish a few eggs may be from a White Crested. The Male was either a Pekin or a Rouen. So mixed duckies for sure. But I read Muscovy ducks take longer, I read mine should be around 28 days though my neighbor who gifted these eggs just hatched a batch 2 weeks ahead of me and hers hatched on day 25/26...

 

[DuckyDonna]

The duck who laid most if not all is a Black Swedish a few eggs may be from a White Crested. The Male was either a Pekin or a Rouen. So mixed duckies for sure. But I read Muscovy ducks take longer, I read mine should be around 28 days though my neighbor who gifted these eggs just hatched a batch 2 weeks ahead of me and hers hatched on day 25/26...

IDK then, I was hoping @WVduckchick would chime in @Cayuga momma?

 

[Cayuga momma]

IDK then, I was hoping @WVduckchick would chime in @Cayuga momma?

@WVduckchick or @Texas Kiki should know. I'm sorry, but I don't incubate

 

[bex1983]

No worries, thanks for responding and tagging others who may know

 

[chickens really]

If the eggs were taken from a Hen then they probably were started incubation a few day before so yes you can Lockdown today..

 

[WVduckchick]

Day 23 is not too super early to go ahead and lock down, especially if your temps ran a little higher than you set. (did you verify the accuracy of your thermometer?)

I would suggest candling the eggs again, and look for internal pips, and drawdown of the air cell. Even if you just see pressing on the membrane, I'd go ahead and bump humidity. Definitely stop turning and misting. Lay the eggs with the lowest side of the air cell dip facing upward.

But keep in mind, the process is still slow from here on out. Ducks seem to get off to a running start early, but then are very slow down the back stretch. They test our patience skills.

Good luck!

 

[bex1983]

Day 23 is not too super early to go ahead and lock down, especially if your temps ran a little higher than you set. (did you verify the accuracy of your thermometer?)

I would suggest candling the eggs again, and look for internal pips, and drawdown of the air cell. Even if you just see pressing on the membrane, I'd go ahead and bump humidity. Definitely stop turning and misting. Lay the eggs with the lowest side of the air cell dip facing upward.

But keep in mind, the process is still slow from here on out. Ducks seem to get off to a running start early, but then are very slow down the back stretch. They test our patience skills.

Good luck!

Thank You!!! Some have air cells that appear too small, some too big, some just right...Oy

As for the temp, I did use a second thermometer but it only had whole degrees and it would vary between 99 and 100 but generally stayed at 99. The incubator I’m using is borrowed but the owner had good luck with it for chicks and ducklings in the past.

 

[Knighstar679]

The big ones might have started their drawdown already.