HELP ME!! I need advice...ducks hatching??

[loganfarms]

I've got duck eggs in the incubator. The first one pipped Saturday and after 24 hours I decided that it was going nowhere so I decided to help a bit. There was blood dripping as I started to peel the membrane off a bit. I noticed that the beak was exactly where he had pipped so he wasn't progressing at all. His navel was rough and he was pretty lifeless and I didn't think he would make it, but this morning he was a perfect fluffy duck. Today (day 28) 7 more have pipped(some last night) and seemed to be going nowhere also. After vowing to not help again after seeing so much blood last time I decided I had to figure out what is going wrong. I started picking at another that had been pipped for awhile and was paying closer attention to everything. This duck has beak right at pip, blood starting to drip and this time I noticed that he had almost no air pocket. His body is filling the entire shell. Please advice me on what to do for these other eggs, how long to wait or when to help or not? I've got a feeling that if I don't that they aren't going to make it b/c they have no room to turn. Also, what would cause this? and what should I change next time??
Thank you!!!

 

[rekabnivek]

I'm not sure about the helping part as I am on my first hatch now. I have read that high humidity during incubation can cause larger chicks. Not so sure if ducks fall into the same category. Hopefully someone can give you good advice on the rest of the eggs. Good luck with the little ones

 

[loganfarms]

Thank you. Good luck with your hatch. I have hatched oodles of chickens and guineas, but can't for the life of me hatch any larger birds. Lost 2 peacocks with their beak sticking out and now my ducks aren't doing well. I've got to get this figured out soon. Just purchased a breeding flock of peafowl and definately want to feel confident with them by next spring when they start laying. Luckily I hatched some Cochins this year so hopefully I'll have some broody hens next year. I can put way more faith in a chicken that I can myself and an incubator. If and when possible NATURE will be the way I go.

 

[Wifezilla]

Ducks take a long time from pip to hatch. If you are seeing blood, they aint done yet!

 

[loganfarms]

Any thoughts on them being too large?

 

[okiedrifter]

gonna tell you what was told to me....every day open your bator door let it cool for 30 minutes....mist your duck/goose eggs with warm water shut bator and do it again in 24 hours...this is what the Momma Duck/goose does in nature she gets off eats poops and takes a swin to get wet and bring back humidity for her eggs...this keeps the babies from growing to large in their eggs....does this work...I dont know I gave up trying and the above sounded like a bunch of hooey but the goose and duck man at the sale barn swears by it and he always has bunches of them to sell every sat....

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Quote:
This is for DURING incubation. Once in lockdown stop opening the bator, keep the heat and humidity (70%) stable and let them hatch. Ducks can and will take forever compared to chickens. Blood is a sure sign you should not be helping as these ducklings are not done absorbing the blood and ready to fully hatch. Yes they can pip before being fully ready to hatch. Good luck with the rest.

Shellie