Oh Boy... I normally work with kittens, feral colonies, sick kittens until they can go to rescue and hopefully be adopted out to their forever homes after that. So this is totally new to me. I have always taken any rescued wildlife or animals I'm not equipped to handle to those that can. However, I am finding that anyone who does waterfowl has not had room for eggs and so I'm stuck. If any hatch and make it, places will take them right away, but not the eggs :-( I don't want to let these babies die.
Here it is, the backdrop:
The mama duck (mallard) was hit last Tuesday morning, June 2, and tragically killed. I found her nest about 4-8 hours later. It was a pretty hot day as well.
I had a basket with a towel and part of a blanket in it and parked in a ramp where the sun would not bake them in my car. I covered them with the thick towel as they felt cool to the touch. Later that day and night they were really warm, even in my house. I used a infrared thermometer just to get a feel for the temperature of the egg shell and it was 101-102 degrees. Granted, I'm not sure if that would be accurate with an egg shell, but... I had nothing else to work with at the time. I have been able to hold the temperature and turn them a few times a day until Friday, June 5 at which point, I finally saw some movement inside some of the eggs. I was worried they were too hot for a while. I was wetting my hands with warm water prior to turning them to try and get a little moisture on them while turning.
Most of the eggs have a good air sac and it looks to be around day 22 as of Friday (only based on a lot of internet pictures and reading). So I set them at a position in my basket at about a 30 - 45 degree angle with the air sac up and larger part of it facing up. I have been seeing shadows of movements inside the egg while candling (I'm not very good at it yet). I've only been able to keep the eggs at about 97-98 degrees since Thursday night/Friday.
Here are my questions:
1 - Will the fact that I only turned them a few times a day until Friday or if I stopped a couple days early because of my ignorance at aging the egg cause them the stick to the shell at hatching? or will they be okay because mama duck was doing it the first 18 days?
2 - What will the impact be of only keeping them at 97-98.5 degrees do to them for this last several days? Do you think the early days (day 18 or 19 guessing) of 101 to 102 degrees will do damage to their ability to hatch or if they will stick to shell? They were warm for about 10-12 hours and then back to 99.9. Then warm again, then back to 99 before they dipped to 97-98.5 degrees the last few days. They were under mama duck for first 18 days give or take.
3- I'm trying to find a way to keep them warm. I have zero space available as we have been out of our house due to a pipe burst and work going on at it, plus rescue kitties. So I am doing what I can, but I hate this. I am supposed to save little lives.... not idle and just watch, but I am limited and would like some suggestions on how to get these little guys through hatching so the rescue will take them.
4 - I've seen where people put safety holes after internal pipping is completed or??? Is that always a suggestion or just after they've internally pipped and stopped for a certain amount of time?
5 - How can I keep the shell at appropriate humidity if I do not have an incubator that does that and knowing the temp is a little lower than normal.
Any help is greatly appreciated. This is surely a learning experience. I'm just so bummed out there isn't anyone with experience that will take them in at this point. so again, whatever anyone can share with me, the better..
Thanks!
Tammy
Here it is, the backdrop:
The mama duck (mallard) was hit last Tuesday morning, June 2, and tragically killed. I found her nest about 4-8 hours later. It was a pretty hot day as well.
I had a basket with a towel and part of a blanket in it and parked in a ramp where the sun would not bake them in my car. I covered them with the thick towel as they felt cool to the touch. Later that day and night they were really warm, even in my house. I used a infrared thermometer just to get a feel for the temperature of the egg shell and it was 101-102 degrees. Granted, I'm not sure if that would be accurate with an egg shell, but... I had nothing else to work with at the time. I have been able to hold the temperature and turn them a few times a day until Friday, June 5 at which point, I finally saw some movement inside some of the eggs. I was worried they were too hot for a while. I was wetting my hands with warm water prior to turning them to try and get a little moisture on them while turning.
Most of the eggs have a good air sac and it looks to be around day 22 as of Friday (only based on a lot of internet pictures and reading). So I set them at a position in my basket at about a 30 - 45 degree angle with the air sac up and larger part of it facing up. I have been seeing shadows of movements inside the egg while candling (I'm not very good at it yet). I've only been able to keep the eggs at about 97-98 degrees since Thursday night/Friday.
Here are my questions:
1 - Will the fact that I only turned them a few times a day until Friday or if I stopped a couple days early because of my ignorance at aging the egg cause them the stick to the shell at hatching? or will they be okay because mama duck was doing it the first 18 days?
2 - What will the impact be of only keeping them at 97-98.5 degrees do to them for this last several days? Do you think the early days (day 18 or 19 guessing) of 101 to 102 degrees will do damage to their ability to hatch or if they will stick to shell? They were warm for about 10-12 hours and then back to 99.9. Then warm again, then back to 99 before they dipped to 97-98.5 degrees the last few days. They were under mama duck for first 18 days give or take.
3- I'm trying to find a way to keep them warm. I have zero space available as we have been out of our house due to a pipe burst and work going on at it, plus rescue kitties. So I am doing what I can, but I hate this. I am supposed to save little lives.... not idle and just watch, but I am limited and would like some suggestions on how to get these little guys through hatching so the rescue will take them.
4 - I've seen where people put safety holes after internal pipping is completed or??? Is that always a suggestion or just after they've internally pipped and stopped for a certain amount of time?
5 - How can I keep the shell at appropriate humidity if I do not have an incubator that does that and knowing the temp is a little lower than normal.
Any help is greatly appreciated. This is surely a learning experience. I'm just so bummed out there isn't anyone with experience that will take them in at this point. so again, whatever anyone can share with me, the better..
Thanks!
Tammy
