Preparing to set call and pekin duck eggs! Hatch day should be March 4, 2021 if all goes well!

[FunnyfarmMidwest]

Did any of your last ones hatch on their own? I forget.
I have had quite a few that have internally picpped and never made it to external. So for mine I need to error on the side of caution.
I tend to kind of make a peephole big enough for a q-tip to fit through so I can watch how the veins are progressing and keep the membrane moist as my first step. that gives them the opportunity to be able to still hatch on their own if possible.
Then when I can see the veins have receded and it's safe to do so, I will just go ahead and remove that whole air cell end and begin to peel back the membrane from the bill and eye area.

I only had one make it to hatch last time and it was the malposition so I had to help him out. Once I widened the hole he hatched but he wouldn’t have without intervention. I will probably do that in a couple of hours then just monitor them and go from there. Thanks much for the great advice! I’m really excited.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

If you end up going the assisist route, on the membrane,
you will want to just do a little bit at a time, making sure your not ripping any veins. Moisten that membrane each time. Pop them back in there to rest for an hour or so in between.
Providing they do not turn and go ahead and hatch on their own you will just keep doing that until you get it to the point it will look something like this.

From here they should be able to just pop on out whenever they are ready.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Also, I have found I do not like coconut oil anymore. I prefer to use Vaseline. With the coconut oil that membrane gets all dry brown and papery and seems to stick to the feathers really bad.

 

[FunnyfarmMidwest]

If you end up going the assisist route, on the membrane,
you will want to just do a little bit at a time, making sure your not ripping any veins. Moisten that membrane each time. Pop them back in there to rest for an hour or so in between.
Providing they do not turn and go ahead and hatch on their own you will just keep doing that until you get it to the point it will look something like this.

From here they should be able to just pop on out whenever they are ready.

Thanks for the helpful advice! I did that for the backwards one so I’ll do it in the same manner. I’ll definitely go slow. I’ll watch close to make sure they don’t turn as well. Also the video is great. Then I can see about how much to remove when They’re ready.

 

[FunnyfarmMidwest]

Also, I have found I do not like coconut oil anymore. I prefer to use Vaseline. With the coconut oil that membrane gets all dry brown and papery and seems to stick to the feathers really bad.

Thanks! I’ll try Vaseline this time!

 

[FunnyfarmMidwest]

the day 27 one looked like it was struggling a bit so I went ahead and widened the hole to q tip size. I moistened that little bit of membrane and don’t see many veins.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

@FunnyfarmMidwest I just got on. I open further after 24 hours after the safety hole.
I really hope that your duckies make it.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

@shawluvsbirds is right about coconut oil, but I like this but you have to reapply everything I've used anyway after 12 or so hours.
Bottom left egg on last picture was the one I had that was malpositioned. It externally pipped on it's own and I opened it further from it's pip. It was the last one that was ready to hatch, a day after the others.

 

[FunnyfarmMidwest]

@FunnyfarmMidwest I just got on. I open further after 24 hours after the safety hole.
I really hope that your duckies make it.
View attachment 2556828
View attachment 2556829
View attachment 2556830
View attachment 2556831

Thanks! This is really helpful! I really appreciate your advice!

 

[FunnyfarmMidwest]

They’re both looking good. I think I can go ahead and take the shell off around the air cell for the day 27. I will do this in the morning (probably early). There are no large veins from the looks of it only small spider veins. But I can only see a small amount through that hole. They’re both actively trying to escape but haven’t done much so I think I will have to fully assist them both tommorow. So far it’s been 10 hours since the holes. I’m going to wake up every hour to check them. Do you think that will be ok? Also I looked back at my calendar and realized that my malpositioned call duckling hatched on the 28th day. Anyways I can’t wait for the fluffy duckling snuggles. I started setting up the brooder as well.