I have a Pip! - *now with pic on post 1*

[AngieChick]

Thinking that I had all of Saturday to get the brooder set up, imagine my surprise when I looked in on the eggs this morning and saw a major pip and a rocking egg. I had just put them in lockdown the day before. The little duckies aren't supposed to hatch until Sunday.

So, today I spent rushing around like a crazy woman getting their brooder set up. Now that everything is ready, little Mr. Pips is taking it easy and gathering his strength. I'm stuck at a prior volunteer commitment right now, hubby is keeping me updated.

We'll see how much sleep I get tonight.

This is my first ducky hatch, the eggs are a test hatch from French Hen, there are five who were wiggly at lockdown.

Wish me ducky luck!

Edited to add a picture of little Mr. Early Duck

Taaa Daa!

 

[1lpoock]

Thats so exciting, I can't wait until my eggs get close to hatching...

PICS, PICS, PICS!

 

[FenDruadin]

I don't sleep at all when my babies are hatching. I have to be up every couple hours to check on progress. And the irony is that I will be the first person to tell you to have patience--ducks often take two days or slightly more to go from pip to hatch, in my experience. They rest A LOT.

Nevertheless, prepare for a couple sleepless nights.

 

[AngieChick]

Quote:
I am so glad that you told me this, if it were to not be out by 11:00am tomorrow I would be fretting. I'm used to hatching out chickens.

I've hatched out chickens a number of times, but it's still so exciting and nerve wracking! And of course there will be pics galore when they make it out.

 

[tia]

Oh how can you stand it..... I just get so excited. Mine will have a week to go this coming Monday and I can hardly wait. I have eight runner ducks in the incubator and they seem to be developing right on schedule.

 

[AngieChick]

After sitting by the incubator for an embarrassing number of hours, I have a little ducky drying in the bator. He took a very long time to widen out his hole and "zip". He actually had himself almost out, but then his entire wing somehow got out of the egg, sandwiched between the 2 split (but still attached) pieces. I was very worried that he would dislocate it while thrashing and turning in the egg. So, I did the naughty thing and quickly removed a tiny little piece of the egg shell so that he could get his wing back in. It was bizarre, I have never had a chick do that before. In my defense, he still had to push himself out and there was obviously no veining in the shell.

He seems just fine, there was a sack of greenish stuff attached to him. I had a moment of panic when I thought it was the yolk sac, but it was just the sac of waste from his time in the shell.

No other eggs are pipped yet (still a day early), so once he's dry I'll move him over so that I don't have to later. The other eggs could take days more and I don't want him stuck in there getting rowdy while his poor siblings try to hatch.

It was pretty amazing watching him while he hatched. He responded to my voice - when I talked to him he become much more active. It was too cute.

I'll post pics once he's dried and we have him moved over.

 

[FenDruadin]

Yay!!!

He is GORGEOUS. Lucky ducky mama!

It is SO HARD to leave that darn bator closed. I don't know the specific case, of course, but I have found that my ducks do often get their wings partly out of the shell before they've opened it all the way, and I've never known one to have a problem because of it. My usual rule is that I give a bird 24 hours in a given situation before assisting--usually they end up sorting it out themselves.

A few exceptions, though--if the duckling is hatched and has gotten stuck somewhere in the incubator (between the carton and the wall, for instance) and in an hour or so has not managed to free itself, or is obviously in distress (loud peeping over a fifteen minute or so period), then I will reach in and quickly free it--and try to fix the problem area if possible.

I drive my husband crazy standing over the incubator and saying things like, "I think #7 is having trouble. It started zipping three hours ago and hasn't made any progress. Do you think I should help it?" Or "#10 has been trying to pop out since before #5 even started zipping--and #5 is already out. Should I help?" The answer is nearly always no, lol.

Anyway--congrats on your beautiful baby, and good luck wishes for the rest of the hatch!

 

[AngieChick]

iamcuriositycat: I tend to not help either (with chickens, this is my first duck hatch), as long as there is progress being made I am happy. He somehow got his entire wing out, with the upper joint level with the 2 shell pieces. That in itself isn't what really concerned me, it was that he had also been turning around in there pretty aggressively. I had been watching him, and he was quite close to pushing the shell apart himself. There was no veining apparent at all in the shell, and hadn't been for quite a while. So, it was a calculated risk, and as no other eggs were pipped yet I thought that it was worth it as long as I was fast and minimal in my intervention.

Is it common for there to be such early birds? He did take up more of his shell then anyone else when I candled before lockdown. He seemed developmentally a bit ahead throughout the incubation. It is possible that he happened to be in a warmer part of the incubator, it has a fan but there are still spots a smidge warmer than others.

I am finding myself fretting over the remaining 4, even though the official 28 day mark isn't until tonight. There are no more pips yet.

 

[RedmanRanch]

do any of you have advice on my post...hatching problems???

 

[kysilkies]

Too cute!!!!!! Congrats!