Pekin hatching problem

[Miss Lydia]

There are officially 8 ducklings, and maybe 1 or 2 more? I threw out a stinky one today and left her w/3 eggs. I had a difficult time hearing and seeing if the were moving, 1 for sure was moving.
Auntie/Mama duck layes just outside the nesting box how and hangs out w/and keeps the 8 ducklings warm and keeps them company. I put the heat lamp closer to them and they were laying under it today. It was cold today, probably about 45 degrees and windy, which makes it feel colder. I may give the ducklings a bowl of warm water tomorrow and see how they like it?? it should be cute to watch. I will take pics.

@CyndiD they are so precious good thing you don't live close Or I would have to take some of them cuties.. Congrats!!!

 

[Sarkchick]

That is so wonderful. I bet they are really cuties. And how fun, watching bath time. So funny. Splash then all jump out and run like crazy. Love it.
@CyndiD
How did the candling on the Welsh eggs go?

 

[Lacrystol]

Ok. Let me see if I can discribe it to you. My ducklings were on day 29. 5 of 8 had external pips for 36 hours. I opened small holes around pips. Left them a couple hours. No change. I removed some of the shell at air cell. The outer membrane was a tan color. Very dry. I removed some so I could see the ducklings bill. The inner membrane did not have veins showing. Started removing inner membrane. It was very tight around duckling. Almost completely stuck to it. There was no way the ducklings could turn to zip. The very last ducklings story is on Peking Hatching Problem. Ended up with 7 ducklings, 5 had above problem then 1 upside down(Pekin hatch problem) and 1 dis before I could get it out. I'm new to incubating, only 4 hatches. Never had a problem until this. I said shrink wrap because that was like what I thought I read. Can you understand anything I said? Did it make since? That's for trying to help. Do not want to go thru that again

Where was your humidity and temp at at the time? The small hole was a great idea but two hours isn't long enough. does sound almost like shrink wrap, was the duck sticky to the touch at anytime?

 

[Lacrystol]

Hi Ladies... here is a pic i took today of ducklings.
Today Auntie/Mama duck was out from under the nesting box and laying on the straw and all 8 of the ducklings were laying besided her and 2 were sitting on top of her back.... it was so cute. By time I got my camera, they had moved.
but here is a few cutie pictures... enjoy




@Sarkchick How are your ducklings doing? any new pictures? Have you posted them on another threatd?
I put my runners together today for breeding... it wont be long.

OMG HOW ADORABLE. LOL Looks like they are getting the hang of things. LOL

 

[CyndiD]

That is so wonderful. I bet they are really cuties. And how fun, watching bath time. So funny. Splash then all jump out and run like crazy. Love it.
@CyndiD
How did the candling on the Welsh eggs go?

@Miss Lydia @Lacrystol
Well, I didn't want to turn the eggs onto their sides, so I did the best I could with a small flashlight (late lastnight in a dark bedroom). I was trying to look for a thread or a site w/candling pics. There were about 3 (out of 13) that I couldnt see the AC. and there were about 4 of them that I could see, what looked like a seperation of membrane (I have never seen this before) How do I describe it? It looked like an air bubble up against the side of the shell (on the inside of the egg) one was small, about the size of a penny. @Lacrystol Sort of like you describe in your "incubation tips" on your site, "detatched AC, the only thing w/my egg is, I didnt want to move my eggs or tilt them, sideways, so I couldn't tell if the bubble moved too much. does this make sense to you?
One egg had a darkening spot (on the inside) that covered about 1/3 of the egg???? I dont know what I was seeing??? bruising maybe?? I have not seen this with my chicken or duck eggs... maybe from being shipped?? and the box had a big dent in the corner of the box, you saw it Sarkchick (pic). And one was cracked from top to bottom about 3/4 of the egg. I put it in. I was going to ck on how to seal it.
I put them in my forced air bator last night and DID NOT turn the egg turner on. I will do that in a couple of days. Then, my bator temp spiked, uuuuggghhh!! I have 5 thermometers in the bator, one of them is a thermometer & hygrometer in one unit.
I hinted to my DH that I needed a bator that kept proper temps...
Other than the above.... ALL IS WELL, OHHHH, no I lied. I was tending to my ducks this morning before church and kinda in a hurry, and while I was walking down a fence path, I realized.... OOOHHH NOOOO, the fence gate was open and as i rounded the corner my pekin was on top of my blue runner.... NOOOOO, ETHEL DONT LOOK, I sccreamed to my self, but it was too late, he did the deed....
So, Lacrystol or Miss Lydia... how many eggs do I have to toss before the Pekin gene is out of her??? I dont want any mixed breeds right now?? Although, I think one of the ducklings I hatced look like a Blue Pekin, kinda of cool looking??? I can hardly wait till she/he feathers out and see how big she gets???

the dark/blue duckling on the right

the one on the right. And the egg she came out of was a dark green and I marked it as a Chocolate runner, go figure??? it was obvious a blue runner egg. UNLESS it was my Blue Runner drake and my Chocolate Runner duck? my blue runner is large and one of my choco ducks is pretty big too. Only time will tell, huh?
Sorry for the short story made Loooong... I guess i am in a yappy mood... TTYL

 

[Lacrystol]

Here's a link as far as candling and what to look for, HOWEVER, it's a little different if the eggs are shipped..

With shipped eggs several things can happen, first take your egg and lay it on it's side, move the egg around in a circle as your candling it. Does the air cell follow you? Another words when you move the egg on it's side is there a bubble that's on top no matter what position you put the egg and does it stay on top as your rolling the egg?

If not GREAT, now take that same egg and hold it in an upright position, move the egg left to right while candling does the air cell move but stay up at top?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/491013/goose-incubation-hatching-guide-completed

 

[Sarkchick]

@Lacrystol. Temp at 99 the whole time. Humidity at 45 days 1-25 and 79 at lockdown. I did spray warm mist in when I opened the bator.
And yes, they were alittle sticky. They even dried with goo around the neck area. I did not notice when hatched. That you for looking into this.

 

[Sarkchick]

@CyndiD. I am in love. Look at those faces. They really are growing fast. And no, no new pictures of my ducklings. Been busy trying to divide my duck/goose pen. The goose has decided to set. And I thought they were mean before. Now I take a stick in with me. The nest has goose and duck eggs in it. Don't know how many.

I am learning about the candles get along with you. Interesting about laying on side and turning to see if air cell moves. You go girl

 

[Miss Lydia]

@CyndiD . I am in love. Look at those faces. They really are growing fast. And no, no new pictures of my ducklings. Been busy trying to divide my duck/goose pen. The goose has decided to set. And I thought they were mean before. Now I take a stick in with me. The nest has goose and duck eggs in it. Don't know how many.
I am learning about the candles get along with you. Interesting about laying on side and turning to see if air cell moves. You go girl

This time of year I always have something in my hand before I go around my ganders especially, a bucket,bamboo pole the shovel I use to clean out their coops it's just normal behavior but boy they carry it to extreme. Mine will not be sitting this year I don't look forward to taking eggs.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@CyndiD those ducklings are precious and amazing how much they have already grown and beginning to look like Runners.