How long do I wait

[Poultry mum]

Hatching some duck eggs… piped 24hrs ago (minimum) how long do I wait before I help out?
I’ve had major issues this season with shrink wrapping and had to help 90% of my chicks these are the 1st ducklings for the season…
At what point do I step in? Thanks

 

[SmiYa0126]

@BelovedBirds @New duck mommy 2021

 

[Canadian Wind]

What's your humidity at? How far has the pipping gone (just internal? External? How big a hole? Any zipping?)

 

[Poultry mum]

What's your humidity at? How far has the pipping gone (just internal? External? How big a hole? Any zipping?)

External pip had to help with making the hole big enough for them to breathe as shrink wrapping was already acuring… no zipping as yet… one has a brownish membrane the other is normal color.

Now been approximately 28hours since I found the 1st one piped ( Cayuga x pekin) still no movement on zipping 2nd one (pure pekin) will be at the 24hr mark in about 4hrs roughly

 

[Poultry mum]

Sorry should add humidity is sitting between 78% and 88% tho it it’s flacuating. Temp is between 36.1 and 37.5 again it’s fluctuating as the environment around the incubator is constantly changing… gotta love Australia!

 

[Canadian Wind]

You shouldn't be having any issues with shrink wrapping at that humidity. I wonder what the heck is causing it...

I've only hatched duck eggs once, and it was a disaster. I've learned one major thing from that: don't help. Ducks naturally take much longer than chickens to hatch, and can be several days from external pip to actual hatch.

If the baby is alive and breathing, then let it be. Keep a high humidity. If you can, play sounds of ducklings peeping on loop to encourage them.

Hopefully others will be able to offer their experience, which is much vaster than mine!

 

[Poultry mum]

You shouldn't be having any issues with shrink wrapping at that humidity. I wonder what the heck is causing it...

I've only hatched duck eggs once, and it was a disaster. I've learned one major thing from that: don't help. Ducks naturally take much longer than chickens to hatch, and can be several days from external pip to actual hatch.

If the baby is alive and breathing, then let it be. Keep a high humidity. If you can, play sounds of ducklings peeping on loop to encourage them.

Hopefully others will be able to offer their experience, which is much vaster than mine!

I’ve been having an issue with shrink wrapping all season… with both ducks and chickens I suspect something is happening with the incubator or incubation process…
While I know ducks can take upto 48hrs I’m worried that my little Cayuga x isn’t digesting the yolk… I can see the HUGE yolk sac when I look into the egg and it doesn’t seem to be getting any smaller…
I’m slowly waiting it out to the 48-50hr mark before I step in completely… I’m just worried incase there’s something wrong considering the membrane is a brown/green color and not a clear/white color

I’m talking to them and peeping at them but otherwise I’m just letting them do their thing… every 2-3hrs I’m getting my q-tip (ear bud) dipping it water and slowly and carefully moving the membrane off the duckling so it can move some what freely again..

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

Hatching some duck eggs… piped 24hrs ago (minimum) how long do I wait before I help out?
I’ve had major issues this season with shrink wrapping and had to help 90% of my chicks these are the 1st ducklings for the season…
At what point do I step in? Thanks

Are you talking about internal pip ? External pip ? Or external missing the air cell ? Each one has different times
If I haven’t seen an external by 24 hours after internal I make a small safety hole nothing to big
95% of the time they still make their own external after that but it gives me piece of mind
The other 5% I end up having to help further later on
If it’s external after an internal I wait 24 hours unless I see baby making a big hole but not going around
At that time I may make the original hole a little bigger but almost every time they do something before that 24 hours
If it’s external and missing the internal I don’t worry for 48 hours minimum as we have to add the 24 hour internal to the external
Hope this helps

 

[Poultry mum]

Are you talking about internal pip ? External pip ? Or external missing the air cell ? Each one has different times
If I haven’t seen an external by 24 hours after internal I make a small safety hole nothing to big
95% of the time they still make their own external after that but it gives me piece of mind
The other 5% I end up having to help further later on
If it’s external after an internal I wait 24 hours unless I see baby making a big hole but not going around
At that time I may make the original hole a little bigger but almost every time they do something before that 24 hours
If it’s external and missing the internal I don’t worry for 48 hours minimum as we have to add the 24 hour internal to the external
Hope this helps

This is what I’m talking about this is the little one I’m quite concerned about…
He/she has been like this for 31hrs yolk doesn’t appear to be getting smaller.. there’s a green goo like stuff under the membrane and the membrane it’s self is a brownish colour

 

[BelovedBirds]

This is what I’m talking about this is the little one I’m quite concerned about…
He/she has been like this for 31hrs yolk doesn’t appear to be getting smaller.. there’s a green goo like stuff under the membrane and the membrane it’s self is a brownish colour

that egg looks small, and round-- what breed is it?? Did you already assist? Thats a fair bit of shell open.
Thats a lot of yolk. Definitely dont assist. It's going to take time for baby to absorb all that. I actually cant tell, is that the pointy end of the egg, or the big end of the egg? I'd guess the big end. If the baby has pipped outside of the air cell, its can take longer, as that would be both internal and external pip in one. It isnt unusual for ducklings to take 2 or even 3 days to hatch, so be patient.
If theres any exposed dry membrane, brush on a small amount of vaseline or coconut oil to moisten it.
Don't assist until that yolk is absorbed.