Help please!!!

[anewoneforme]

Hi everyone. I'm new here and would be grateful for some advice please. I have 2 runner duck eggs on lockdown today is day 28, and no sign of any internal piping can't hear any chirping or see the egg moving?? Getting worried now!!! Temp is at 37.2°c and humidity is at 75% air sack is about 40% and lower at one side any advice on what to do please

 

[Amiga]

@dotknott

@WVduckchick


@sumi

@Lacrystol


@Sally Sunshine

@anewoneforme - have you looked at the sticky on hatching waterfowl eggs? There is a link to stickies in blue at the top of the Duck Forum page.

 

[WVduckchick]

Awesome!

Sorry you lost one though. I'm betting you will have a pip very soon. But it "can" take up to 48 hours from the first pip to actually zip out. Ducklings like to test our patience and take their own sweet time. This late, I expect it will be quicker though.

 

[anewoneforme]

Thank you. The incubator is only small and with not doing it before I didn't want to start off with too many. My daughter wanted to incubate some chicken eggs after they had done it at school

but we only have hens. The chickens follow her round all the time, and will sit with her whereas the ducks stick to my 2 year old son like glue they sit on his knee and follow him all over

 

[WVduckchick]

Hi! And welcome!

First don't panic. What kind of incubator? Does it have a fan? Have you verified that your meters (thermometer and hygrometer) are accurate? When did you last candle them?

37.2 is a tad bit low, if you have a fan. It should be even higher if you don't have a fan. This could cause a delay in hatching, if it has been that temp all along. They may just take an extra day or two.

 

[anewoneforme]

Hi I have a ColorMax Mini Automatic Digital 7 Eggs Poultry Incubator Hatcher for Hatching Chicken Duck,yes it has a fan, yes the temp is accurate I have got another thermometer inside. The temp was at 37.5 I'd read you lower the temp on lockdown!!! I candled them on Monday. Thank you for replying

 

[WVduckchick]

Well everything sounds good there. Lowering the temp for lockdown is fine. Not absolutely necessary, but I've done it, and not done it.

When you candled them, did they look full? Like dark all the way up around the air cell? And out into the pointed end? Could you still see movement?

Also, I hate to ask, but are you sure about the day count? It's a common error. Day 1 doesn't start until 24 hours after setting, so could it be only day 27?

Personally, if I didn't have any pips this late, I would candle again, looking for movement, internal pips, and for drawdown. As long as you do it quickly and carefully, and keep the humidity up, there is no danger to the duckling. (just don't drop the egg!)

Best of luck!

 

[anewoneforme]

Thank you Yeah I haven't counted the day I put them in. Iv just candled them and one is starting to push on the membrane saw it pushing. The other one there is no movement at all and it's starting to smell so I think iv lost one just hoping the live one internally pips tonight.

 

[WVduckchick]

Ah, well, maybe they just need a little more time. Did you remove the smelly one? A lone duckling can be a challenge, do you have more ducks?

 

[anewoneforme]

Yeah iv removed the smelly one, yeah I have 4 other runners (mum,dad and aunties)