Pipping to Zipping Stage?

[quixieotic]

Hey everyone!

This is my first time incubating and one of my duck eggs has begun the hatching process a couple days early. There is a little external pip, which I first noticed around 3 pm (could have happened before that, but the last time I checked before 3 pm was around 7 am there was nothing), and there hasn't been any progress ever since. The pip is also kind of small, not like the bigger star shaped ones I see on some other pics online. Is something wrong with my duck?

Thanks in advance for your time and help.

 

[Debbie292d]

I'm more familiar with chicks, but for ducks, I think it's 36 hours after pip before you should perhaps intercede, but let me do some looking around and see.

Maybe it's in this article I share all the time. It's about how and when to assist: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

Welcome to BYC!

Edit: Yes, it's in the above article: "Ducklings and goslings take a really long time sometimes from the time of external pip to the zip. You may want to allow them 24 to 36 hours before you start an assist."

 

[BoundlessLove]

Ducklings take longer than chicks to pip and zip. If you want, you can post a picture of the egg in question.

 

[quixieotic]

I'm more familiar with chicks, but for ducks, I think it's 36 hours after pip before you should perhaps intercede, but let me do some looking around and see.

Maybe it's in this article I share all the time. It's about how and when to assist: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

Welcome to BYC!

Edit: Yes, it's in the above article: "Ducklings and goslings take a really long time sometimes from the time of external pip to the zip. You may want to allow them 24 to 36 hours before you start an assist."

Thanks for the reference! Yeah, I think I've read in some places that it can even take up to 48 hours, I'm just a very worry-prone person haha..really hoping that all is well, though!

 

[quixieotic]

Ducklings take longer than chicks to pip and zip. If you want, you can post a picture of the egg in question.

Sure! Here are some photos, it's a little blurry because my phone had trouble focusing and the incubator is dark, but hopefully you can see the little pip crack made in the shell. It's not big.

 

[Debbie292d]

Thanks for the reference! Yeah, I think I've read in some places that it can even take up to 48 hours, I'm just a very worry-prone person haha..really hoping that all is well, though!

Welcome! And it's normal to worry! I've hatched well over 300 silkie chicks this year, and trust me, when one's not acting like the others, I'm worrying too!

 

[BoundlessLove]

That looks completely normal AND it has pipped on the fat end.

 

[quixieotic]

That looks completely normal AND it has pipped on the fat end.

Thank you so much! I've been so stressed