Shipped duck eggs, Day 11, Air cell problems

[GraceHomestead]

Ok last year was my first year hatching. I went through a lot of trial and error but had some really good hatch rates...chicks and ducklings.
So this year I really wanted welsh harliquin ducks but it is impossible to find them in my area. So I ordered 24 welsh harliquin duck eggs. They travelled 400+ miles. They were held up over the weekend and we got 4 inches of snow. They arrived on Monday march 12th. The air cells upon candeling were really bad and they were freezing cold!! (See pictures of the eggs, I marked the damaged air cells)

I let them set 48 hours in a warm dark space!
On another group they said to soak the eggs in 110° water to hydrate the eggs. So I did that on the 14th, let them dry then put in the incubator.

They are in cardboard egg cartons with the bottoms cut out. I prop the incubator , right, middle, left, middle repeat 3 times a day. We are on day 11 and 15 eggs are moving around great. 8 eggs did not produce anything and there was 1 early quitter.

THat being said I have NEVER had to deal with detached air cells!! Half thankfully have reattached and look great but the other half concern me. The air cells being HUGE like they have pulled from the shell. (See pictures) The embryos are doing good but worried about the cell.
With ducks I know the humidity needs to be up but I have been keeping it at 40%. When looking at the eggs the marks were made before i set them and were where the air cells were damaged.
Does anyone have any pointers?!?! Thanks

And here are what they looked like on arival.

 

[GraceHomestead]

No one has any pointers?

 

[cowgirlaug39]

What is your humidity. In your incubator?

 

[cowgirlaug39]

What is your humidity. In your incubator?

Sorry I just read it

 

[JanetMarie]

They should be kept in a more upright position, with the air cell facing upwards, and if turning by hand treat gently and just tilt to other side to turn. I incubated goose eggs this way, that were shipped with damaged cells. There were four, only one hatched (almost 100% assisted), but good considering the circumstances.

With chicken eggs, my incubator has the turning tray that slowly tilts the eggs, and with damaged air cells keeps them from getting further damaged.

Keep an eye on them as normal, which looks like you're doing, adjusting humidity as needed.

Last year I had 8 out of 12 chicks hatch that all came from damaged air cell eggs.

If the air cell is detached, it probably won't hatch.

 

[GraceHomestead]

They should be kept in a more upright position, with the air cell facing upwards, and if turning by hand treat gently and just tilt to other side to turn. I incubated goose eggs this way, that were shipped with damaged cells. There were four, only one hatched (almost 100% assisted), but good considering the circumstances.

With chicken eggs, my incubator has the turning tray that slowly tilts the eggs, and with damaged air cells keeps them from getting further damaged.

Keep an eye on them as normal, which looks like you're doing, adjusting humidity as needed.

Last year I had 8 out of 12 chicks hatch that all came from damaged air cell eggs.

If the air cell is detached, it probably won't hatch.

Thank you,
At the moment I have the humidity at 45%, what should It be? Should I raise it higher? I am doing dry hatch.
All eggs are sitting upright, fat end up in egg cartons. I am elivating the incubator. Rotaing 3 times a day.

 

[JanetMarie]

45% would normally be okay. If the candeling pics were taken at day 11 it looks like there's too much air space, so I would increase humidity.

I think tilting the incubator the way you are is okay, as long as the eggs are not moving too suddenly.

 

[GraceHomestead]

45% would normally be okay. If the candeling pics were taken at day 11 it looks like there's too much air space, so I would increase humidity.

I think tilting the incubator the way you are is okay, as long as the eggs are not moving too suddenly.

Yes the pictures were taken on day 10, it is like the membrane has pulled away from the egg in those areas. Will raising the humidity up to 65% hurt the other eggs that are doing good and have normal looking air cells?

Since they are duck eggs they fit snuggly in the egg cartons. I Slowly tilt the incubator so they don't move at all in the cartons and I do it slowly because I don't want to damage the inside any more then already...

By the hatchabatch app we are on day 14 but by my calendar today is day 15??? I am spraying the eggs and I will add a sponge to see if I can get it up to 65% if that will be ok for the other eggs. I don't want to damage the eggs that are doing very well at all.

 

[Chicken Chat]

By "the membrane has pulled away from the egg", I think you're referring to what's called saddled air cells. It happens a lot in shipped eggs, they can still hatch with saddled air cells.

 

[JanetMarie]

That was the issue I had in accommodating the more damaged eggs, and the normal eggs. They both had different requirements. I met in the middle to try to please all the eggs. I think raising to 65% would be okay for both groups.