Runner ducks no external pip

[Coconutkenz]

I could use some HATCHING HELP info…we are incubating 6 chicken eggs and 5 duck eggs. Put chicken eggs in 7 days after ducks to account for the 21/28 day difference. We opted to set humidity to ducks instead of chicks, so humidity was in the 55 range for the 25 days. We had been candling and development/movement was on track in all 5 duck eggs.

We went into lockdown on day 26 (Sunday) morning…all 6 chicks and 1 duck pipped Sunday night. All 6 chicks hatched Monday morning and were lively/fluffy by late Monday night so moved them to the brooder.

The duck that pipped Sunday night hatched Tuesday morning, but we are not seeing any external pipping on the remaining 4 duck eggs. I candled them, and 4 seem to have stopped growing/air sac is still large. But two appear to have internally pipped. Added pics for reference.

Have these pipped internally? And being that we are on day 30.5 should I put a safety hole in?

 

[SnackMeat]

I would put a safety hole in them, but I've only done chicken eggs. I have read duck eggs can take 48 hours from pip to zip, maybe even 72.

At the very least the small hole can increase oxygen and you might hear them chirping.

You could also play a chirping soundtrack to see if you see any movement.

 

[Coconutkenz]

I would put a safety hole in them, but I've only done chicken eggs. I have read duck eggs can take 48 hours from pip to zip, maybe even 72.

At the very least the small hole can increase oxygen and you might hear them chirping.

You could also play a chirping soundtrack to see if you see any movement.

Thank you! We have the first duckling still drying in the incubator and she is chirping. We haven’t seen any movement in the other two eggs, but I’ve also read that ducks rest for an extended time after the internal pip. We didn’t see any movement in the one duckling that did hatch prior to her zipping. I’ve only hatched chicken eggs, so ducks are new to me, and proving a fair bit more interesting.

 

[SnackMeat]

yeah from what I've read (incubating now) they really respond to sound even more than chickens, when it comes to chirps.

I'm very hands on which has definitely cost me, but at least I feel like I can handle regretting interfering rather than regretting that I didn't do anything.

If I heard sound and movement with the pinhole I would leave them.

If I didn't hear anything, even using chirping soundtrack, and candling for several minutes, then I would open up a bigger hole, wet a qtip and swab the inner membrane lightly. With a clearer membrane you can more easily tell with a flashlight if it is breathing.

The issue is if the beak is out to the membrane, yay-- give it more time. Maybe swab the tip of beak with a qtip of Save a Chick or similar, staying away from nostrils.

But if you don't see the inner pip, and can't discern the beak then you have to decide if you are going to interfere if the chick has positioned its head wrong.

I haven't had success with this so far and many would probably say let it die believing nature knows best. It will probably die whether you interfere or not so it's up to you if you want to handle it as a learning experience or not (even if the lesson is, just letting nature take it course.)

Based on my experience so far interfering, if the membrane's veins were fully gone (having cornstarch on hand to staunch and surprise blood spots), and if the beak was not present but it was breathing, I would crack the shell away up to the edge of the body, wet the membrane and lightly rub with finger or qtip letting the membrane dissolve or wear away with friction. I would do this up to the edge of the egg. Possibly even making a small crack down the side.

Then I would leave it alone for 12+ hours and hope that it would push now that it didn't have as much pressure to fight against.

Hopefully everyone's beaks are in the right position and everyone's breathing so you have more time to make a decision and allow them more time to hatch.

 

[Coconutkenz]

yeah from what I've read (incubating now) they really respond to sound even more than chickens, when it comes to chirps.

I'm very hands on which has definitely cost me, but at least I feel like I can handle regretting interfering rather than regretting that I didn't do anything.

If I heard sound and movement with the pinhole I would leave them.

If I didn't hear anything, even using chirping soundtrack, and candling for several minutes, then I would open up a bigger hole, wet a qtip and swab the inner membrane lightly. With a clearer membrane you can more easily tell with a flashlight if it is breathing.

The issue is if the beak is out to the membrane, yay-- give it more time. Maybe swab the tip of beak with a qtip of Save a Chick or similar, staying away from nostrils.

But if you don't see the inner pip, and can't discern the beak then you have to decide if you are going to interfere if the chick has positioned its head wrong.

I haven't had success with this so far and many would probably say let it die believing nature knows best. It will probably die whether you interfere or not so it's up to you if you want to handle it as a learning experience or not (even if the lesson is, just letting nature take it course.)

Based on my experience so far interfering, if the membrane's veins were fully gone (having cornstarch on hand to staunch and surprise blood spots), and if the beak was not present but it was breathing, I would crack the shell away up to the edge of the body, wet the membrane and lightly rub with finger or qtip letting the membrane dissolve or wear away with friction. I would do this up to the edge of the egg. Possibly even making a small crack down the side.

Then I would leave it alone for 12+ hours and hope that it would push now that it didn't have as much pressure to fight against.

Hopefully everyone's beaks are in the right position and everyone's breathing so you have more time to make a decision and allow them more time to hatch.

This is amazingly helpful! Thank you for the details. Will try this this morning and report back!