Muscovy incubator hatching- first time. Day 36 please help!

[Qui1980]

Muscovy incubator hatching- first time

. Day 36. 8 eggs. 4 external pips and one egg with dark circle on small end of egg?? What is this spot. Does it need help? Also, is external pips large enough? Anything I should do? Lockdown Temp at 98.5 and humidity at 62%. Is this okay? 1 vent fully open. Nurture right 360 incubator.

 

[Yardmom]

A nail or screw can be used to make a safety hole. If needed It should be made in the air cell away from the duckling. Your temp and humidity sound good for muscovies. Muscovies can take longer than chickens and even other ducks to go from pip to zip. Also some sources list muscovies as taking 37 days to hatch.

 

[nchls school]

How long has there been external pips?

 

[Qui1980]

How long has there been external pips?

Maybe 24hrs…

 

[nchls school]

Maybe 24hrs…

Candle the eggs without an external pip to determine if they contain a living duckling that has internally pipped. Put the eggs to your ear and listen for a clicking sound or peeping. If these eggs have internally pippied and are alive, I'd mark a safe spot on the air cell end while candling, then carefully make an air hole in the shell; a small hole to allow O2 in so the ducklings do not suffocate.

Picture of an internally pipped egg.

 

[Qui1980]

Candle the eggs without an external pip to determine if they contain a living duckling that has internally pipped. Put the eggs to your ear and listen for a clicking sound or peeping. If these eggs have internally pippied and are alive, I'd mark a safe spot on the air cell end while candling, then carefully make an air hole in the shell; a small hole to allow O2 in so the ducklings do not suffocate.

Picture of an internally pipped egg.

View attachment 3108040

Great, thanks so much! Will
Do that now. What do you advise I use to make the hole? Also, the egg with the dark spot… do you think it’s in the wrong position and has potentially passed?

 

[nchls school]

Another picture showing internal pip.

Disregard the dark spot as there are different reasons; don't worry about that now.

For the hole just something sharp; even the point of a knife. Keep the hole small at first, but through the shell and shell membrane.

 

[nchls school]

do you think it’s in the wrong position and has potentially passed?

Both are possibilities. Candling will provide the answer as to living and what end has the air cell.

 

[Qui1980]

View attachment 3108052

Another picture showing internal pip.

Disregard the dark spot as there are different reasons; don't worry about that now.

For the hole just something sharp; even the point of a knife. Keep the hole small at first, but through the shell and shell membrane.

Thanks again!
7 out of the 8 were active and had all internally pipped. We were able to hear tapping and peeping. Tried to do candling, marking and poking hole’s as fast as possible. Used a push pin and poked a hole through each of the remaining ones that had not yet externally pipped away from them, but in the air sac. We could actually see the ones that had not yet externally pipped desperately trying to do so…Wondering if I had of left them if they would’ve been successful with it?
Kind of regretting touching them now and even opening incubator knowing the risks, but at the same time I now have peace of mind that they are alive and making progress. I’ll just keep Fingers crossed in the end we have 7 healthy ducklings.

 

[Qui1980]

A nail or screw can be used to make a safety hole. If needed It should be made in the air cell away from the duckling. Your temp and humidity sound good for muscovies. Muscovies can take longer than chickens and even other ducks to go from pip to zip. Also some sources list muscovies as taking 37 days to hatch.

Thank you! Used a push pin.
Hoping for the best