I need help, again! Only one hatched 😫

[mjentley]

I had 10 eggs in the incubator but only one has hatched and it is day 29 (Pekin duck). None of the other eggs have any noise coming from them or movement. The one is very lonely! What should I do?

 

[nuthatched]

Have you candles the recently? What temperature is your incubator set at and is it calibrated? Are you counting the day you put them in? Technically the 2nd day is day one.

 

[mjentley]

My incubator is was set at 99.5, but when this one hatched I turned it down to 98 because I read to. My incubator counts down the days for me. If I candle what should I see that would tell me there is definitely life?

 

[shawluvsbirds]

My incubator is was set at 99.5, but when this one hatched I turned it down to 98 because I read to. My incubator counts down the days for me. If I candle what should I see that would tell me there is definitely life?

I wouldn't have turned it down. I actually incubate my duck eggs at 100 and I don't turn it down at hatch time.
When they're close to hatching it does get hard to see anything for certain, so don't throw in the towel just yet.
Sometimes you can see a little bit of red veining still around the air cell, and or some shadowing in the air cell where they are pushing on that inner membrane trying to internally pip.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

 

[shawluvsbirds]

I had 10 eggs in the incubator but only one has hatched and it is day 29 (Pekin duck). None of the other eggs have any noise coming from them or movement. The one is very lonely! What should I do?

Also, you can give the lonely duck a mirror and a stuffed animal or even a sock or cotton glove to cuddle to help sooth it.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Any update?

 

[mjentley]

No more have hatched, but we bought 3 newly hatched Pekins. We call our one “DJ”. DJ is pecking them, but they are ignoring DJ. They are the same age but DJ is much bigger.
The lady at Tractor Supply said she had the same incubator and had trouble with humidity crashing constantly so she returned it for another one. The new one is great. She thinks they had a bad batch because another lady brought hers back for the same reason and her second one is fine.
Thank you so much for caring to ask! God bless you!