Let’s talk safety holes.

[Jmiller89]

I’ve been hatching ducklings all summer and it seems I’ve lost my first one during hatch. It internal pipped only. I think it was due to humidity being too high as I had guinea eggs in this time that hatched earlier then the ducklings. Do you guys put safety holes in the eggs? Pros/cons? I think if this little guy had one then he would have made it . I put a safety hole in today but pretty sure he’s already dead. Will wait till everyone hatches before I open his egg up...

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Normally duck eggs don't need safety holes unless they are call ducks.
When your guineas were hatching were you taking them out and opening the incubator often? Each time I open the incubator I add a little water.

 

[Jmiller89]

Normally duck eggs don't need safety holes unless they are call ducks.
When your guineas were hatching were you taking them out and opening the incubator often? Each time I open the incubator I add a little water.

I did open the incubator to pull them out but my incubator is small and humidity was 85% or more with lots of condensation on the sides. I also always put a towel over the incubator to try to keep the humidity in as much as I can while I’m pulling out. The one that died was in the middle of the incubator and most ducklings hatched without issue. One pipped the wrong side and got stuck but it’s egg was small so I helped him out. I’m definitely noticing a longer hatching period with this group (basically longer period between first and last hatch, still waiting on 2 that have made little progress). Thinking my incubator may be having issues now...

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

85% is too high. Are you relying on the incubators hygrometer? That high of humidity can cause the incubator motor to malfunction.

 

[Jmiller89]

85% is too high. Are you relying on the incubators hygrometer? That high of humidity can cause the incubator motor to malfunction.

Can’t help it. It’s a small incubator and when they start hatching the humidity goes up a lot. Humidity is from a hydrometer I bought and add in.