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- #51
Ok, I have two more questions. Wasn't sure if I needed a new post so went for lazy and didn't.
Wondering if it's "normal" for ducklings to fall into their air cell while trying to hatch. I've had several from this group of rescued Pekin eggs that pipped into their air cell, pipped externally and then stop. I don't want to rush them so I wait at least 24 hours before making the hole bigger, and when I finally do pick away some shell, the whole air cell is full of duckling. I currently have one who had an external hole early on Sunday. He had a second "hole", like he was zipping maybe, yesterday morning but then he didn't do much after that. I didn't start helping him until this morning, and only helped because he sounded ANGRY. When I picked some shell off the air cell, the air cell was full of duckling again. It's like they pip, get frustrated, struggle and fall into the air cell and then they're stuck. Or seem to be stuck. Am I right that they're probably stuck once they're in the air cell? It's body that's falling in if I didn't mention that already. They look like they're doing backwards summersaults into their air cell. So by the time I help them their head is probably about even with their hips.
The only one that hatched fully unassisted, I never saw him in the air cell and he hatched MUCH faster than the ones I've waited to assist. He went from external pip to hatched in less than 24 hrs. But, he left a flop of something yellow in the incubator. I'm not sure what it was. The best way I can describe it is the lemon part of lemon meringue pie. It wasn't milky yellow, or opaque yellow. More like yellow...jelly? He didn't seem bothered by whatever it was. His belly was closed so I just assumed it was some sort of egg gunk. Do I want to know what it might have been?
All of these eggs spent most of their incubation with Mama duck outside (HIGH heat and humidity lately if that matters). They've only been inside in the incubator a week-ish.
Wondering if it's "normal" for ducklings to fall into their air cell while trying to hatch. I've had several from this group of rescued Pekin eggs that pipped into their air cell, pipped externally and then stop. I don't want to rush them so I wait at least 24 hours before making the hole bigger, and when I finally do pick away some shell, the whole air cell is full of duckling. I currently have one who had an external hole early on Sunday. He had a second "hole", like he was zipping maybe, yesterday morning but then he didn't do much after that. I didn't start helping him until this morning, and only helped because he sounded ANGRY. When I picked some shell off the air cell, the air cell was full of duckling again. It's like they pip, get frustrated, struggle and fall into the air cell and then they're stuck. Or seem to be stuck. Am I right that they're probably stuck once they're in the air cell? It's body that's falling in if I didn't mention that already. They look like they're doing backwards summersaults into their air cell. So by the time I help them their head is probably about even with their hips.
The only one that hatched fully unassisted, I never saw him in the air cell and he hatched MUCH faster than the ones I've waited to assist. He went from external pip to hatched in less than 24 hrs. But, he left a flop of something yellow in the incubator. I'm not sure what it was. The best way I can describe it is the lemon part of lemon meringue pie. It wasn't milky yellow, or opaque yellow. More like yellow...jelly? He didn't seem bothered by whatever it was. His belly was closed so I just assumed it was some sort of egg gunk. Do I want to know what it might have been?
All of these eggs spent most of their incubation with Mama duck outside (HIGH heat and humidity lately if that matters). They've only been inside in the incubator a week-ish.
