*~*Runner Duck Club*~*

[Chick a dee1023]

I posted this in the incubators anonymous thread, but I need help asap so i figured you guys wouldn't mind me posting here as well. I hope you dont mind lol:

Ok, someone please tell me what to do, I have 2 runner eggs in the bator, one internally pipped 2 days ago, the other looks partially pipped (internally), they are both moving around (the one less pipped is moving less), NO EXTERNAL PIPS or tapping or peeping yet... how long do I wait to help? I will feel like an awful mom and fuzzy butt mom if I kill them b/c I didnt help (or kill them b/c I helped too soon). I took pics so maybe that will help anyone who can help me out, the one has these yellowish-brown marks in the air sack that weren't there until today. Someone PLEASE tell me what to do

. The one filling almost the whole air sac looks like it may be having trouble reaching the shell...I can see either a beak/bill or a foot in there but cant tell which. its very active, but it has been like this for 2 days now. (btw, we THINK we are on day 26). Here are the pics, they are all the same egg (the one thats in the air sac) the first pic shows the spots I was talking about. Thanks in advance for any insight on what I should do!

 

[qwackers]

I posted this in the incubators anonymous thread, but I need help asap so i figured you guys wouldn't mind me posting here as well. I hope you dont mind lol: Ok, someone please tell me what to do, I have 2 runner eggs in the bator, one internally pipped 2 days ago, the other looks partially pipped (internally), they are both moving around (the one less pipped is moving less), NO EXTERNAL PIPS or tapping or peeping yet... how long do I wait to help? I will feel like an awful mom and fuzzy butt mom if I kill them b/c I didnt help (or kill them b/c I helped too soon). I took pics so maybe that will help anyone who can help me out, the one has these yellowish-brown marks in the air sack that weren't there until today. Someone PLEASE tell me what to do

. The one filling almost the whole air sac looks like it may be having trouble reaching the shell...I can see either a beak/bill or a foot in there but cant tell which. its very active, but it has been like this for 2 days now. (btw, we THINK we are on day 26). Here are the pics, they are all the same egg (the one thats in the air sac) the first pic shows the spots I was talking about. Thanks in advance for any insight on what I should do!

I know a lot of people will disagree with me here but I helped 4 out of 5 of my runners hatch and they are all happy and healthy. Though you are only on day 26 which is the only thing that bothers me. Anyway it's your choice but I think you'd be fine to put a little hole in the air sac so at least then you know they can breathe. Candle first so you know where the duckling is and avoid veins if there are any. If you see any blood stop straight away. Mine were very late and were fast out growing the egg and were starting to dry out so I helped with making a slightly bigger hole or making one where there wasn't and wrapping them in warm wet kitchen towel to help keep the membrane moistened. They did the rest. Make sure your humidity is really high, don't keep them out for long at all if you do try and help. Yes it may not be strong enough and yes it may have something wrong with it, but if you're willing to take that chance and know that at least you did what you could then go for it. Like I said mine are doing great. Good luck!

 

[Chick a dee1023]

I know a lot of people will disagree with me here but I helped 4 out of 5 of my runners hatch and they are all happy and healthy. Though you are only on day 26 which is the only thing that bothers me. Anyway it's your choice but I think you'd be fine to put a little hole in the air sac so at least then you know they can breathe. Candle first so you know where the duckling is and avoid veins if there are any. If you see any blood stop straight away.
Mine were very late and were fast out growing the egg and were starting to dry out so I helped with making a slightly bigger hole or making one where there wasn't and wrapping them in warm wet kitchen towel to help keep the membrane moistened. They did the rest. Make sure your humidity is really high, don't keep them out for long at all if you do try and help.
Yes it may not be strong enough and yes it may have something wrong with it, but if you're willing to take that chance and know that at least you did what you could then go for it. Like I said mine are doing great. Good luck!

Thank you, I am not totally sure which day we are on exactly, when I got them they had been under the mother for ABOUT 2 weeks the lady told me, so I started counting day one in my incubator as day 14 for them.... not sure if we are further or earlier in the incubation. I hear a tiny bit of tapping, she looks weak tho, I know (s)he is a new baby thats weak and exhausted, but it seems like shes REALLY trying and not really getting anywhere. Do you know what's the longest I should wait from the time it pipped internally til the time I should help? The air sacks in both seem a bit small to begin with.... ESPECIALLY the one who hasn't internally pipped yet.... If its still moving and hasn't pipped by the time this one is out of the bator (fingers crossed it hatches and is ok) I think I may help a bit, maybe drop the humidity again to try and make the air sac bigger, but keep a close eye and raise it as soon as it pips internally...I'm so lost, I'll feel TERRIBLE if I end up killing it.... maybe i'll wait til ATLEAST day 29 if I can ugh... this is confusing lol. I can't wait til I have hatched a few batches, that way I'll have a bit more experience! LOL

 

[qwackers]

Ah yeah I remember now! Yeh it was my first time too but I just went with my gut and risked it. They were day 30 and day 31 when I helped. Yeh I knew mine were getting really tired,poor things, the eggs were like concrete. I know they say from the external pip it can be up to 48 hours. But yours have already been that long? Don't worry about the discolouration on the shell either. One if mine had that and I was convinced it was dead but turned out after hatching it was just a lot if poo! Hope it's the same for yours!

 

[qwackers]

Trouble is because they were under mummy duck they could be a little later than you think and actually be at around day 28.

 

[Chick a dee1023]

Ah yeah I remember now! Yeh it was my first time too but I just went with my gut and risked it. They were day 30 and day 31 when I helped. Yeh I knew mine were getting really tired,poor things, the eggs were like concrete. I know they say from the external pip it can be up to 48 hours. But yours have already been that long? Don't worry about the discolouration on the shell either. One if mine had that and I was convinced it was dead but turned out after hatching it was just a lot if poo! Hope it's the same for yours!

OK, thanks a lot! My hubby was like "it's nature, they will get out on their own" and I agreed, then we candled (because we didn't hear anything and my 3 yr old opened the bator today to "see the duckie eggs" and when he saw her laying there very lightly tapping in the same place and STILL doesn't look like she did ANYTHING he was like "OMG help that poor thing!"

LOL I think I got him hooked! Hee Hee. I will play it by ear tonight, I'm very lucky b/c my bator (home made Styrofoam) holds the humidity well, even after I open to take them out and candle it doesn't go below 67 ish (it's at 73-79 the rest of the time) and it goes back up within 10 mins

I'll keep ya posted and put up pics if they hatch

. For now I watch incessantly and play it by ear LOL!

 

[qwackers]

OK, thanks a lot! My hubby was like "it's nature, they will get out on their own" and I agreed, then we candled (because we didn't hear anything and my 3 yr old opened the bator today to "see the duckie eggs" and when he saw her laying there very lightly tapping in the same place and STILL doesn't look like she did ANYTHING he was like "OMG help that poor thing!"

LOL I think I got him hooked! Hee Hee. I will play it by ear tonight, I'm very lucky b/c my bator (home made Styrofoam) holds the humidity well, even after I open to take them out and candle it doesn't go below 67 ish (it's at 73-79 the rest of the time) and it goes back up within 10 mins

I'll keep ya posted and put up pics if they hatch

. For now I watch incessantly and play it by ear LOL!

I used a home made Styrofoamone too. Yeh it was great for humidity. It sounds like the poor things re getting tired. My humidity was up above 80 once they started hatching but you've only got 2 so that's probably about right. If you do help try and extend the pip that the one has already made and like I said before about making a little hole on the other one. Good luck!

 

[Chick a dee1023]

I used a home made Styrofoamone too. Yeh it was great for humidity. It sounds like the poor things re getting tired. My humidity was up above 80 once they started hatching but you've only got 2 so that's probably about right. If you do help try and extend the pip that the one has already made and like I said before about making a little hole on the other one. Good luck!

It still hasn't made a Pip on the outside yet...i candled it in my bathroom with steam going and had it really warm, i watched & listened for a few mins last night, it's really trying. I decided to wait over night b4 i intervened, I'm def going to help atleast so it can breathe, but HOW THE HECK DO I START A HOLE WITHOUT HURTING IT! please help lol i remember reading about a sharp screw, but of course i can't find one... plus how do i not hurt or jolly the little one when i do it?

 

[Chick a dee1023]

Ok, so i used a push pin (sharp, but short in case i pushed too hard or something), i made it pretty far away from the baby b/c she's moving around, i hope it's big enough. i didn't want to make it too big and risk hitting a vein or something (i don't see any, so I'm not sure if there are any in there). poor thing has been working her little but off since Thursday. I hope she makes it out ok! I still can't tell if the other one pipped internally or not, it looks like there may be something in the air sack, but not much. It's still moving around (not a lot, i haven't seen this 1 rock at all either, i hope it's not facing the wrong way), i guess we will see! :biting my nails: how do u guys do it with 30+ eggs?! I guess it's a little easier after you've hatched so many batches? Lol I'm going nuts!

 

[Toast n Jelly]

Quote: I'd say he was right if it was being hatched by the natural mother but an incubator is fraught with human and mechanical error so I wouldn't stand by that statement.

Hope they make it.