Is 72 hrs after hatch ok for duckling to be in incubator?

[basssnake]

My roughly 20 duck eggs were supposed to hatch tomorrow Wednesday the 17th and when I went to do lockdown Sunday night, one had hatched already. So i quickly added water to appropriate water channels and closed incubator. Checked monday morning and a couple more hatched and after work checked and a few more. As of tonight, there is still a few slowly hatching I think and from what I can see a few haven't pipped yet.

So, can I wait til tomorrow night when the first duckling is 72hrs (3 days) to get them out? And if I am taking them out, what can I do to minimize the impact on the remainder eggs if they are still preparing to hatch?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I think this is a question for some of our duck experts. I believe @Isaac 0 , @Miss Lydia, @WVduckchick all hatch and should be able to help. It's very late though so I do not know who is available.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

@Pyxis @MGG
@Kiki

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I seriously wouldnt leave it in that long after hatching

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I don't even wait 24 hours, I try to take them out whenever I can so they aren't rolling everyone, but general consensus is to remove at about 24 hours

 

[JacinLarkwell]

When you yake them out, hace like a towel or somewhere to set them and just hurry up, open the incubator, scoop the fluffed ones oit, set them down and shut it ad fast and safe as you can. Incubator should get back to the right humidity writhing a few minutes

 

[lhance]

72 hours feels way too long to me.

Have a spray bottle to hand and when give a couple of sprays when you are done removing them, that gets the humidity back to where you need it instantly.

 

[Pyxis]

I'd take them out. 72 hours is a long time and is pushing it. Just open the incubator quickly, retrieve the ducklings, and watch to make sure humidity goes back up afterwards. As long as it does, the remaining eggs are in no danger.

 

[Isaac 0]

My roughly 20 duck eggs were supposed to hatch tomorrow Wednesday the 17th and when I went to do lockdown Sunday night, one had hatched already. So i quickly added water to appropriate water channels and closed incubator. Checked monday morning and a couple more hatched and after work checked and a few more. As of tonight, there is still a few slowly hatching I think and from what I can see a few haven't pipped yet.

So, can I wait til tomorrow night when the first duckling is 72hrs (3 days) to get them out? And if I am taking them out, what can I do to minimize the impact on the remainder eggs if they are still preparing to hatch?

72 hours is way too long for them to be in there, everyone has there own way of doing things, but I tend to take mine out an hour right after they hatch, and set them in an already preheated warm brooder. If you leave the ducklings in there too long, they jostle the other babies around and may disorient them which may possibly affect their hatch. Also, by 72 hours these babies need to start eating drinking soon, It partially depends on how long the ducklings been in the shell etc, but I've seen my Calls start drinking six hours after hatch. Get those babies out.

 

[MGG]

I agree, 72 hours is way too long. I leave mine in 24 hours max. Even then when I take them out they're very hungry and thirsty. The yolk can only sustain them for 2 days.