Incubating duck eggs- advice pretty please.

[WVduckchick]

Is it ok to keep opening the incubator ? How can I keep an eye for any others struggling? That bit I swear is the leg ... but maybe I’m wrong, but I looks like the bend in it’s leg as it has that type of scale look pattern x

Just keep watching thru the window for now. Hopefully you will see some movement, or even opening and closing of the beak.
If the others have pipped normally, I wouldn't bother with any of them yet. I use a magnifying glass, and watch the pip hole membrane, or the shell chip, watch for any slight movement.

Do any of the yellow areas look chunky, like wet cheese?
(sorry, can't think of a better description LOL)

EDIT to add - peck on the window. That will usually get a reaction. Or flash the light back and forth across the pip hole

 

[xx_li_xx]

Just keep watching thru the window for now. Hopefully you will see some movement, or even opening and closing of the beak.
If the others have pipped normally, I wouldn't bother with any of them yet. I use a magnifying glass, and watch the pip hole membrane, or the shell chip, watch for any slight movement.

Do any of the yellow areas look chunky, like wet cheese?
(sorry, can't think of a better description LOL)

EDIT to add - peck on the window. That will usually get a reaction. Or flash the light back and forth across the pip hole

Me and my husband had a look together and I reckon hats it’s bottom and the yellow is feathers than either side looks like it’s legs. X

 

[WVduckchick]

Me and my husband had a look together and I reckon hats it’s bottom and the yellow is feathers than either side looks like it’s legs. X

I’d just leave it for now, keeping that membrane moist so it doesn’t stick to the feathers, and see what happens. As the veins shrink, and it continues to move around a bit, you can probably figure out how it’s positioned.
Watch the other end too, because if it’s backwards, it could still pip on the other end.

 

[xx_li_xx]

I’d just leave it for now, keeping that membrane moist so it doesn’t stick to the feathers, and see what happens. As the veins shrink, and it continues to move around a bit, you can probably figure out how it’s positioned.
Watch the other end too, because if it’s backwards, it could still pip on the other end.

okie dokie will do, how will i know if the membrane needs moisturising again?
you can see little breathing moves but its very laboured but guess that could just mean its resting. I have a feeling I will be up all night.

Thank you so much everyone, without you all I feel I would be a mess right now x

 

[Slash3]

To me it looks like the bill is in the bottom right corner.

 

[xx_li_xx]

To me it looks like the bill is in the bottom right corner.

Which bit are you looking at ? I don’t know how you all can tell from these pictures ... they aren’t great , to be honest I can’t even tell just looking at it - although the picture @WVduckchick posted , where she’s drawn the bill is actually what looks to be a leg. There is something on the other side nearer the more red area which I thought could be the bill but also looks like it could be another leg. :-/ I don’t really have a clear view atm but I’m not keen about going back in there. Maybe when it needs a bit more moisture I will chip a bit more shell away. I keep checking it to make sure it’s moving. Even if just a bit.
I hope he/she makes it but I’m expecting the worst :-(

 

[Slash3]

tried to show how I see it. x

 

[WVduckchick]

Which bit are you looking at ? I don’t know how you all can tell from these pictures ... they aren’t great , to be honest I can’t even tell just looking at it - although the picture @WVduckchick posted , where she’s drawn the bill is actually what looks to be a leg. There is something on the other side nearer the more red area which I thought could be the bill but also looks like it could be another leg. :-/ I don’t really have a clear view atm but I’m not keen about going back in there. Maybe when it needs a bit more moisture I will chip a bit more shell away. I keep checking it to make sure it’s moving. Even if just a bit.
I hope he/she makes it but I’m expecting the worst :-(

These are always iffy ones... but when you opened it, you were prepared for it to already be dead, so at least it has a chance now.

Coconut oil stays looking like its wet, but it gets dry faster than Vaseline. It will look globby, are will get darker. I'd say to check it every 2 hours, and add more.
Use the soft tip of a finger, and feel around on the membrane. Everything feels soft except the beak, so if you feel a hard knot, it should be the beak. If it all feels soft, I fear the beak is at the other end.

Oh, also look around the other end for any discoloration on the shell. Sometimes wrong-enders will try to pip, and only slightly break the inner membrane, which releases a little fluid between the membranes and causes a dark bruise looking spot. So watch for that to happen too.

 

[DuckyDonna]

@DuckyDonna when you helped yours and were opening and closing incubator did you have others in the incubator also ? X

i only had one other, the other 6 had already hatched. The last 2 had no pips at all so I actually took a scalpel and made a hole in the air cell ends of both eggs hoping to get things started. I knew they were alive.

I made enough of a hole in one that it zipped by itself but my last little guy was backward (breech) and that last picture I posted with his leg hanging out of the big hole and the other hole where you can see some blood is where I found his little head. Just go slow if you start picking. As I said, I think I put it back and forth in the incubator about 50 times so my hands could stop shaking and it could rest.

 

[xx_li_xx]

tried to show how I see it. x

You may possibly be right and that could be the beak, it’s pushed out a little a few times and think beak is definite possibility. Big vein going right across it. I’m starting to feel so much worse , as if it’s not mapositioned etc and just genuinely wasn’t ready I would never have done this for a second but I honestly thought it had passed. It’s very behind the others though if this is the case x