Help! My Momma Pekin Duck Daisy is Missing. What do I do with her Eggs?

[Miss Lydia]

@HollowOfWisps.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Yes, that was the one. I know, I'm not doing anything other than the safe hole. I dont want to do anything to hurt them. I just find myself sitting there and watching them jiggle and peep for long periods of time lol. I have to peel myself away to get house work done and cook! haha. How much peeping is normal? Is it normal to not hear them very often at all? Just the two so far. One I havent heard peep at all, but is pecking away in there. The other is peeping and pecking.

I rarely hear peeping especially when they start to unzip. It takes a lot of their energy. I don't even bother using peeps to detect life. As far as safety holes go I'm not a fan unless it's been over 48 hours. I don't think it's wise to rush nature, help when needed yes, but never rush. Especially because if you don't sanitize everything correctly you're introducing new bacteria, risk puncturing more then just the air sac and sometimes even when externally pipped ducklings need more time to absorb the yolk while adding more holes often takes off more of the shell if not done precisely causing more airflow to dry out the membrane (most of what I learned from hatching was from a retired avian vet).
If you are worried about suffocation during hatching the best prevention is:

1. Ensure proper humidity throughout hatch by pre-calibrating an analog hygrometer and placing inside the incubator.

2. Making sure all air vents on your incubator are 100% open. Hatch day requires the most oxygen flow.

3. Do not open your incubator unless it's necessary. Does shrink wrapping happen all of the time? No, but opening your incubator unless you need to can increase your chances of it happening. The chances of shrink wrapping are increased even more when the ambient humidity in the room your incubator is in is drastically different then the humidity in your incubator.


http://extension.msstate.edu/content/pipped-eggs-do-not-hatch

 

[cjones288]

I rarely hear peeping especially when they start to unzip. It takes a lot of their energy. I don't even bother using peeps to detect life. As far as safety holes go I'm not a fan unless it's been over 48 hours. I don't think it's wise to rush nature, help when needed yes, but never rush. Especially because if you don't sanitize everything correctly you're introducing new bacteria, risk puncturing more then just the air sac and sometimes even when externally pipped ducklings need more time to absorb the yolk while adding more holes often takes off more of the shell if not done precisely causing more airflow to dry out the membrane (most of what I learned from hatching was from a retired avian vet).
If you are worried about suffocation during hatching the best prevention is:

1. Ensure proper humidity throughout hatch by pre-calibrating an analog hygrometer and placing inside the incubator.

2. Making sure all air vents on your incubator are 100% open. Hatch day requires the most oxygen flow.

3. Do not open your incubator unless it's necessary. Does shrink wrapping happen all of the time? No, but opening your incubator unless you need to can increase your chances of it happening. The chances of shrink wrapping are increased even more when the ambient humidity in the room your incubator is in is drastically different then the humidity in your incubator.


http://extension.msstate.edu/content/pipped-eggs-do-not-hatch

Thanks! I havent touched them since I did the two safe holes. Much more progress this morning. The first egg is broken through and you can see the beak popping in and out of the hole and each time she peeps. The second egg has a whole line of cracks across the air sac side of the egg. And As I was watching the first egg this morning I witnessed the first pop and pip of the third egg. Nothing on the other 5 yet. I wanna check them but I dont want to open the bator. So I just impatiently wait it out. I think the first egg may actually hatch today. yay! Wish I could post a video. Its only 10 seconds long.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Looking good!
to post a video you will have to put it on youtube or vimeo then copy and paste it here.

 

[cjones288]

Egg one is finally here!!!! <3 It's very vocal! I'm a little concerned about it though. For one its bottom looks abnormal, to me anyways, is that what its supposed to look like freshly hatched? Also, its beak looks a little tore up. Is it just from hatching? Is this normal? Is this an unhealthy baby? Is there something I can do? I'm really hoping this is all normal and that it will be okay.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Aww Congrats!! probably the bill is just from working on the shell to get out, the belly looks like it still has some absorbing to do. So you might want to get a small bowl or cup lay a soft cloth down in it then place the duckling in feet first so the little one can finish absorbing and not catch that protruding part on something. When you pick it up to place in the bowl or cup try not to touch the umbellicus but if you can get a better picture? Belly and bill.

 

[cjones288]

Aww Congrats!! probably the bill is just from working on the shell to get out, the belly looks like it still has some absorbing to do. So you might want to get a small bowl or cup lay a soft cloth down in it then place the duckling in feet first so the little one can finish absorbing and not catch that protruding part on something. When you pick it up to place in the bowl or cup try not to touch the umbellicus but if you can get a better picture? Belly and bill.

Here's some better pictures. Hes very active and wanting to wobble around. I put him in a tiny cardboard box with tissues on the bottom. I took him out of the incubator and put him in under a heat lamp so hes separated from the other eggs. Plus, in the incubator he kept trying to stand up tall and he nearly hit the heating element on the top and that thing is so hot, I didnt want him to hurt himself.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Boy that is really sticking out. Just keep an eye on it it should absorb soon.

@HollowOfWisps

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Boy that is really sticking out. Just keep an eye on it it should absorb soon.

@HollowOfWisps

Interesting it almost doesn't look like yolk, but rather herniated. If it's yolk it will go down on its own, if it's herniated a vet will be your only option and even then most don't like to deal with little ducklings.

 

[cjones288]

Boy that is really sticking out. Just keep an eye on it it should absorb soon.

@HollowOfWisps

Thats why I was so worried. He seems really content under the heat lamp. Since hes by himself I just put an old tshirt down and let him lay on that in the rubbermaid tub. He kept hanging his head over the edge of the box and it made me nervous.