Pekin Duck Eggs

[lshytle]

It is the 29th day and still no sign of ducklings. I'm getting a little anxious.

Should I be worried yet? I gave them all the water test again today and they all appear to be fertile. Maybe that will soften the shells and make it easier for them to hatch? Anyways, if there's no ducklings by the time I get home today at 3, can I open one up?

 

[Pyxis]

I wouldn't open one up just yet. They may be running a little late, especially if the temperature ran a little low. You should candle one instead - a live baby will be moving around a little and it will be easy to see if it has internally pipped. You can also hold it up to your ear and give it a little tap - if it's internally pipped it may peep at you. I've had eggs hatch up to three days late before, so I always give them four extra days before opening.

 

[lshytle]

So one externally pipped and I saw no progress for about 8 hours. I used tweezers to gently pick at the shell around the tiny crack and yolk squirted out. It's back in the incubator now. What does the yolk mean?

 

[Pyxis]

It means it's way too early for it to hatch. It hasn't even absorbed the yolk yet, which means it's nowhere near done absorbing blood. I know it's hard, but don't open the incubator again. Ducks especially need a high humidity, and opening the bator now that there's a pip can cause shink wrapping. Just let them be. Ducks take a long time to hatch, sometimes over 24 hours from when they pip to when they start to zip. If you had kept going you would have killed that baby. The squirting yolk means you may have ruptured the yolk sack, which would be bad. Did you go down from the pip? Usually the yolk sack is nowhere near the pip sight and the air cell.