Help saving mallard egg. Sorry it's long...

[saveaduck]

Hello everyone. This is my last place to turn to. I've read on here a lot throughout my chicken raising but I'm having issues that I can't seem to find answers to. Early last week we had a bad storm in New Jersey and a mallard abandoned her nest of 8 eggs for 48 hours that we had been eagerly watching. At that time we decided to intervene w no mom in sight. By the time we got there only 2 remained as the rest had been destroyed by predators. We "THINK" they were just about 3 weeks when we brought them home on Friday. Cold to the touch. One was no longer viable so I removed it on Sunday. But the other is miraculously squirming and moving all around. I have it in a pro series model 4200 w a fan and has a hydrometer on it. I've been using a seperate thermometer and keeping it at 99.5 and humitidy ranging from 60% to sometimes 100% . It looked as though she was trying to internally pip the inner membrane a couple nights ago but, as far as I can tell still has not, and also seems to be weaker. Her air cell has "dipped" so she's laying flat in the incubator larger air cell up (that's where it rolls to anyways)!
So by our calculations, which are most definitely not 100% correct, I'm guessing it's 26 days old, but I'm adding a day or two to the process since she was left alone for just about exactly 48 hours and was cold to the touch when we retrieved her. I want to give this little egg the best possible outcome as I can and ANY suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I've done all the research I can and am still unsure about a few things: should I have the vent holes open or partially open at this point even tho it has a small fan circulating inside? What should the humidity read on the incubators hydrometer, even tho it's probably not calibrated correctly? When should I put it in for lockdown? I cooled her and misted her this morning, I'm thinking that should be the last. Should I be monitoring for an internal pip, or just leaving it be? Or anything else I should or shouldn't be doing at this point?
Thank you so much for any replies, I will keep posting about progress (fingers crossed and prayers shot up)! And please, no replies how I should've left it alone! I'm not one to intervene on nature, and natures beast took care of the other 6! I'm well aware of laws and contacted my local warden before we did anything, and they gave us the go ahead! I'm just trying to do my best by this lil egg and wouldn't have "stolen" it from a nest if the mother had a fighting chance of getting back to them! Again, thank you! You are my last hope

 

[saveaduck]

Oops, also (if there could be anymore I stopped rotating it 3 nights ago when I thought I saw her trying to internally pip. If the air cell has dipped, which it had the other night (air cell at an angle) then am I right to have stopped rotating it? Now I'm concerned I stopped rotating way too early:-0 this is slightly stressful

 

[saveaduck]

Anybody anybody?? I think my biggest question at this point is the air cell looks to be at almost a right angle because I stopped rotating her 4 days ago. Does this seem right or ok? She's definitely moving in there but still no internal pip. Our guesstimation is 25 days today, mallard duck egg. Thank you

 

[buff goose guy]

it takes 28 days at the least 26 if its premature. so you started turning 4 days from day 25 it was day 21 . i always turn mine until day 24. she might be moveing but ive lost eggs this way still moveing and living but when i stop turning them they just dont make it. and sometimes when i relized they needed to be turned again and turned them it just made it worse.

Im really hopeing for a good outcome from this story. though

Humidity needs to be about 70 % more or less depending if it sticky or not. go to @Lacrystol she knows alot about hatching.

 

[saveaduck]

Thank you! We weren't sure of it's age bc it was a rescue. After a bad storm the mom had abandoned for over 48 hours. By the time we got to them, there were only 2 cold eggs, so I didn't have much hope.

She must've been trying to internally pip the night I stopped turning. Went to candle tonight and no movement! I am so so sad! Wish I knew just a bit more. She was well developed, perfect! No yolk left and no blood membrane! She was well overdue Inner membrane was white, sticky and thick! She wore herself out the other night trying. And I just didn't know enough to intervene! If only I knew exactly how old we would've been fine! I tried my best and stayed patient, apparently a little too patient.

Ahhh, thank you tho! Every response has helped and I'll be ordering some duck eggs soon til next time...

 

[Lacrystol]

Thank you! We weren't sure of it's age bc it was a rescue. After a bad storm the mom had abandoned for over 48 hours. By the time we got to them, there were only 2 cold eggs, so I didn't have much hope.

She must've been trying to internally pip the night I stopped turning. Went to candle tonight and no movement! I am so so sad! Wish I knew just a bit more. She was well developed, perfect! No yolk left and no blood membrane! She was well overdue Inner membrane was white, sticky and thick! She wore herself out the other night trying. And I just didn't know enough to intervene! If only I knew exactly how old we would've been fine! I tried my best and stayed patient, apparently a little too patient.

Ahhh, thank you tho! Every response has helped and I'll be ordering some duck eggs soon til next time...

If you don't know the due date, then your only option is watch for Dipping.. Dipping is when the Air cell drops to one side.

The temp inside the shell can maintain for quite some time, but 48 hours is a long time.

Once the three days have gone by then your only option is to make a safe hole.. But your temp and humidity has to be ready for these last three days in order for all to go well.