~Shipped Duck Egg 'Hatch-a-long' Due Aug 21, 2013 CANDLING PICS~

[sweetsilence83]

Look up ducky coming out on youtube. I posted it 2 minutes ago because I can't figure out how to post a video here.

 

[sweetsilence83]

Let me know when your babies hatch.

 

[sweetsilence83]

To increase the humidity faster use warm water.

 

[sweetsilence83]

This is another picture of the same egg as last night, see how he's spreading out

 

[sweetsilence83]

This one is due today but probably won't be born until tomorrow or Friday. She has a little more work to do.

 

[sweetsilence83]

I can hear the oldest one through the shell already, the only time I assisted was when the cheeping became frantic and I could hear it in the other room. Even then all I had to do was make a small viewing hole and a cluster of little cracks in the egg and 6 got out (almost) on his own. I tries to mimic what I saw the other ducks do. They didn't make a zipper around the whole top of the egg, they cracked the egg around the top the pushed their way out, hollering and squeaking the whole time. The only time they were quiet was right after they pipped, my lazy duckies too a 8-10 hour nap before finally starting to zip. But after they are out, take a look at the shell and how much thicker it is than a chicken egg and the fact that all they have is a little egg tooth and a blunted bill and you will understand why it takes the little darlings so long.

 

[Griffin Nest]

One hatched now, but with assistance by me. I think it wouldv'e still been in there if I hadn't helped. The humidity was 55% during incubation and 75% during lockdown, so I still can't see why they have dry membranes. The one that pipped 31 hours ago still hasn't done anything, nor the one I pipped artificially done anything. They just keep breathing without making an effort to peck the shell. Today is day 27. The reason I made the artificial pip for that one egg was because I was certain it had pipped internally for over 24 hours and I did not want to have it die because of no air. I still won't help that one yet but I'm thinking about helping the other one.

 

[Griffin Nest]

Here's pics of the one I helped!! I didn't help all the way, all i did was unzip him leaving the membrane there. He pushed out when he was ready! And it was at 3 in the morning

The other ones chirp but don't do much else. They don't chip away at the egg. So far the hatched duckling is just walking all over them. Here are some pics!!

 

[Griffin Nest]

UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Day 28

All 3 chicks are doing fine!!! I'm glad I helped those other 2 because I don't think they would be out if i didn't help. The second one I helped took 11 hours after I zipped it before finally pushing out. It was very weak but now it's walking. The last one however, the one I artificially pipped because it was internally pipped for too long, came out on its own, however it was not uniform like zipping normally is. Because the chick couldn't turn, it created a massive hole on one side, and kept pushing until eventually the entire egg was cracked in several places. Now they are all learning how to walk, but most of the time they are asleep

PICS!

The one I helped zip:



The shrink wrapped one trying to hatch out itself making a big hole:



Both after hatching:



All of them now!

 

[Griffin Nest]

Hey!!! New problem!!

The big one likes to bite bite bite!!! It won't stop biting things!! I thought it was hungry but it spit out the food!! Now it's biting the other ones!! Will it stop?