Huge air cells for air-cell-detached eggs, Tiny ones for normal eggs.

[Miss Lydia]

You did make the air holes right? so they should be getting air in the shell once they make internal pip?

 

[PaulX]

You did make the air holes right? so they should be getting air in the shell once they make internal pip?

Yes I made air holes yesterday. They should be able to breathe if they've internally pipped.

However, I just confirmed that one egg with intact air cell has died. I couldn't see anything moving and again it was colder so I decided to take a peek inside. I found that its beak barely made it past the membrane, and both its nostrils were clogged with some gooey yellow substance. It was clearly dead, prolly from suffocation.

I'm down to 2 intact air cells and 3 detached. One of the detached looked like its feet were right next to its bill, but it's just shadows so I could be wrong.

If they make no progress in the next 24 hours maybe I'll take a look inside.

 

[Miss Lydia]

So sorry you lost the little one. It's so disappointing. I hope the rest make it out with out difficulty.

 

[PaulX]

So 2 have hatched between 1-3 hours ago. They went from tiny external pips to the whole unzip within 2 hours. Another also have externally pipped. All the pips happened when I was calling 'duck duck duck' encouraging them. The other 2 seems to be struggling and maybe malpositioned so I'll take a look inside in about 10 hours.

 

[chickens really]

Stop interfering and leave them. Eggs hatched long before people interfered and they survive and do much better.

 

[PaulX]

Maybe their genes shouldn't be helped to survive, but it could also be the result of my far-from-perfect incubation (plus the shipping). I want to give them a chance. Not to mention I can only hatch a maximum of 5 ducklings so I'd rather not just let any die.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@PaulX how are they doing this morning?

 

[WVduckchick]

Maybe their genes shouldn't be helped to survive, but it could also be the result of my far-from-perfect incubation (plus the shipping). I want to give them a chance. Not to mention I can only hatch a maximum of 5 ducklings so I'd rather not just let any die.

There are pros and cons on both sides of this debate. I’ve always said it’s a personal choice to assist or not assist.
I personally am hands-on with most of what I hatch. But timing is also critical. Ducks take longer, so once you are sure they have breathing room, please try not to rush the rest. It can take them 40+ hours to completely absorb the yolk, once they pip. Most assists that fail do so because they are rushed out too quickly.

 

[PaulX]

So, I just helped the last 2 out. They were probably malpositioned (I can't really tell, but one of them had its bill tangled with its feet), but they were both ready (they should, it's been more than 2 days, up to 3 days even, since internal pip) - yolk fully absorbed and veins receded. They were a bit shrink-wrapped because I peeled some of the shell to take a peek 5 hours ago, but some careful peeling and then a rinse in warm water solved that. Now I hope they're healthy enough to live. I end up with 2 white (yellow) and 3 dark-colored ducklings.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Congrats!!! sometimes our gut feeling is best indicator.

Can't wait to see them sound like you got 2 Fawn and White and I found this for you on Colors https://www.runnerduck.net/photos.php