Incubating Muscovy Duck eggs

[LilyD]

So I just candled my eggs. Day 29 and one of the babies is already trying to internally pip. I watched it push up into the air cell and saw the shadow and then it went back down again. Hopefully it will wait until it's ready to hatch before it breaks out. Tomorrow I pull out the turner and lay all the eggs down on the wire for hatching and we wait and see what happens. Going to keep candling each day to check on them and I might actually add an air hole after they internally pip so that they can get enough air while they are trying to hatch. Starting to get excited.

 

[subhanalah]

So I just candled my eggs. Day 29 and one of the babies is already trying to internally pip. I watched it push up into the air cell and saw the shadow and then it went back down again. Hopefully it will wait until it's ready to hatch before it breaks out. Tomorrow I pull out the turner and lay all the eggs down on the wire for hatching and we wait and see what happens. Going to keep candling each day to check on them and I might actually add an air hole after they internally pip so that they can get enough air while they are trying to hatch. Starting to get excited.

do not interfere with them for at least 24-48 hours after you see the internal pip, or the day after your due date, if your temperature wasn't low at any point.

Just be patient and let then do what they do.
I saw a flower bud on the forum today, and it reminded me of how they are so delicately opened all over the world every single day without a hitch...but if you were to try to peel that flower bud apart, it would not resemble a flower once you're done. You would kill the flower.

 

[LilyD]

do not interfere with them for at least 24-48 hours after you see the internal pip, or the day after your due date, if your temperature wasn't low at any point.

Just be patient and let then do what they do.
I saw a flower bud on the forum today, and it reminded me of how they are so delicately opened all over the world every single day without a hitch...but if you were to try to peel that flower bud apart, it would not resemble a flower once you're done. You would kill the flower.

No my temp has been spot on for the whole incubation. So far it has not actually internally pipped but it is definitely pushing on the membrane to try. It shouldn't stop turning until day 30 I think and then hatch between Monday and Friday of next week. I am using a styrafoam incubator so my biggest worry is that there isn't enough air flow for the babies during hatching. I read another post about muscovy hatching and the poster put in an air hole in the eggs once they had internally pipped and had a good hatch. I am following Yinepu's guide and it says to decrease the temp by a degree after internal pip and raise the humidity to 65% but make sure there is plenty of air flow.

 

[subhanalah]

No my temp has been spot on for the whole incubation. So far it has not actually internally pipped but it is definitely pushing on the membrane to try. It shouldn't stop turning until day 30 I think and then hatch between Monday and Friday of next week. I am using a styrafoam incubator so my biggest worry is that there isn't enough air flow for the babies during hatching. I read another post about muscovy hatching and the poster put in an air hole in the eggs once they had internally pipped and had a good hatch. I am following Yinepu's guide and it says to decrease the temp by a degree after internal pip and raise the humidity to 65% but make sure there is plenty of air flow.

there should be vents on top that you can unplug. I keep mine open for the duration.

 

[LilyD]

there should be vents on top that you can unplug. I keep mine open for the duration.

I have the hovabator with the digital readout. It only has one plug hole which has been open for the whole hatch. I am worried that won't be enough air though for the hatching babies. It really doesn't seem to be enough circulation of air in the incubator.

 

[karen2818]

I just candled my eggs and I see in two of them a shadow also near the edge of the air cell so I guess the chicks may be pushing on it. I also notice a small area near the top section of the air cell is turning yellow does anyone have any idea what that is? There's movement in all three eggs and tomorrow should be day 30 by our guess.

 

[subhanalah]

I have the hovabator with the digital readout. It only has one plug hole which has been open for the whole hatch. I am worried that won't be enough air though for the hatching babies. It really doesn't seem to be enough circulation of air in the incubator.

there are other vents that you can't see. People (myself included) hatch in them all the time.

 

[LilyD]

Today is day 30 so I removed the turner and set up for hatch. I placed the eggs so that the largest amount of air is at the top of the eggs. I could see the babies pushing against the membrane trying to break through. I don't think I had any true internal pips yet but there are definitely some that are trying to get there already. I wish I didn't have to go to work tomorrow going to be hard to be away from them while they are getting ready to hatch. Hopefully everything goes okay.

 

[LilyD]

Should I raise the humidity now or wait until internal pip?

 

[karen2818]

Lily have you noticed any yellowing near the air cell?