Help with hatching duck eggs?

[littleincubator]

Hi! This is my first time hatching duck eggs. We had about 15 at the start, but 8 died and now we have 7. Today is day 25, and the eggs have started pipping, but its 3 days early! I didn't think they would hatch so quickly so I went to turn them for the last day and saw the first pip. I freaked out and immediately took them all out to increase the humidity, and put them back in as quickly as I could. When I picked up the first pipper I could feel it move inside the egg! I feel like my humidity was too low and my eggs might be too weak. Another one pipped a few hours later, but on its side. What should i do about this one? None have made anymore progress and I'm trying to not worry. Should I have not disturbed them today? Will they survive? I havent touched them since. Thanks for your help!!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

There really isn't anything to do now except keep the humidity up, keep the incubator closed and sit on your hands.
Perhaps the early hatching is due to high temperature throughout so I would drop the temperature by a full degree.

 

[JaeG]

Ducklings take FOREVER to hatch. They could take up to 48 hours from the time they externally pipped. So don't panic, and I'm sure they'll be fine.

 

[littleincubator]

There really isn't anything to do now except keep the humidity up, keep the incubator closed and sit on your hands.
Perhaps the early hatching is due to high temperature throughout so I would drop the temperature by a full degree.

Thank you for responding! My incubator is one where you need to open it to fill in the water channels. Should I still keep it closed? I've had my temperature at 100 the entire time and have taken the eggs out to cool periodically... will it be better if I lower it?

 

[littleincubator]

Ducklings take FOREVER to hatch. They could take up to 48 hours from the time they externally pipped. So don't panic, and I'm sure they'll be fine.

Thank you!! I'm just worried about keeping the humidity up since I have to open my incubator to pour water in...

 

[JaeG]

Thank you!! I'm just worried about keeping the humidity up since I have to open my incubator to pour water in...

You can spritz some water in there if you do have to open it. Or you could pop in a wet sponge to keep the humidity up, but make sure if isn't in contact with the eggs as otherwise it will actually draw water out of the eggs. Hopefully they won't be too slow for you and you won't need to top the water well up. It's torture waiting for them to hatch, I know!

 

[littleincubator]

You can spritz some water in there if you do have to open it. Or you could pop in a wet sponge to keep the humidity up, but make sure if isn't in contact with the eggs as otherwise it will actually draw water out of the eggs. Hopefully they won't be too slow for you and you won't need to top the water well up. It's torture waiting for them to hatch, I know!

MY FIRST DUCKLING HATCHED!! Its kind of waddling around, the egg is still stuck to its bottom through like a strand of membrane, is this normal? It's making a lot of noise and falling down, and I'm worried something's wrong? The wings are hecka tiny. It just kind of collapses, and it cant stand fully upright since my incubator is so short. Should I take it out?

 

[JaeG]

MY FIRST DUCKLING HATCHED!! Its kind of waddling around, the egg is still stuck to its bottom through like a strand of membrane, is this normal? It's making a lot of noise and falling down, and I'm worried something's wrong? The wings are hecka tiny. It just kind of collapses, and it cant stand fully upright since my incubator is so short. Should I take it out?

Congratulations!

Sometimes they are still attached to the egg and that should dry up and fall off, or sometimes the duckling will detach it and it just might bleed a little on its navel. It should be fine but if it doesn't come off by the time it's dry you can snip it off with sterilized scissors as far from the duckling as possible. Sometimes that happens. It will be very tired and wobbly after hatching so just let it dry off, and rest. It will be fine. It will also be calling because it's wondering where its siblings and mother is so just talk to it lots.

Aren't their tiny wings hilarious?!