Should I be worried about my hatching eggs- 3 ducklings

[X3Jack930]

I had 4 internal pippers I discovered at midnight, 30 hours ago, so they could very well have been internally pipped a few hours prior to my discovery- two of them have a star crack NOT a “HOLE” external pip as of exactly midnight last night. Is this still considered an external pip or do I still have to worry about suffocation? The internal pipper that was the strongest was the one I made a safety hole in and she still hasn’t externally pipped- should o be worried at this point? I checked the egg with safety hole at 6am- she is moving (candled her & felt her smack against shell when I picked her up)- her peep was very faint not as strong as the last times. I gave her a safety hole at midnight on the dot- again, she could have been internally pipped prior my discovery so I didn’t want to go further than that without an air supply before I fell asleep. The “star cracked” external pippers are still moving as of 6am and making clicking noise, I did not hear any peeps though. Should I be worried the hole is not through and through on the star cracked “external pippers” and the babies may suffocate? Thank you in advance for replies!

 

[X3Jack930]

I had 4 internal pippers I discovered at midnight, 30 hours ago, so they could very well have been internally pipped a few hours prior to my discovery- two of them have a star crack NOT a “HOLE” external pip as of exactly midnight last night. Is this still considered an external pip or do I still have to worry about suffocation? The internal pipper that was the strongest was the one I made a safety hole in and she still hasn’t externally pipped- should o be worried at this point? I checked the egg with safety hole- she is moving (candled her & felt her smack against shell when I picked her up)- her peep was very faint not as strong as the last times. I gave her a safety hole at midnight on the dot- again, she could have been internally pipped prior my discovery so I didn’t want to go further than that without an air supply before I fell asleep. The “star cracked” external pippers are still moving and making clicking noise, I did not hear any peeps though. Should I be worried the hole is not through and through and the baby may suffocate? Thank you in advance for replies!

@AgnesGray- please check out this thread! Thank you!

 

[X3Jack930]

@AgnesGray- please check out this thread! Thank you!

@AgnesGray what are your thoughts on my pictures and post?

 

[AgnesGray]

A star crack qualifies as an exrernal pip. Ducks are very slow to hatch, in the few times I've hatched them. Much longer than chickens.

When did day 28 start? Now that you have pips and a safety hole be sure to keep the humidity stable to prevent drying out of the membrane that can toughen it and make hatching more difficult.

They honestly look good though.

 

[AgnesGray]

Did the air cells draw down?

 

[X3Jack930]

A star crack qualifies as an exrernal pip. Ducks are very slow to hatch, in the few times I've hatched them. Much longer than chickens.

When did day 28 start? Now that you have pips and a safety hole be sure to keep the humidity stable to prevent drying out of the membrane that can toughen it and make hatching more difficult.

They honestly look good though.

Great! I thought the star crack qualified as an external pip, but I just wanted to double check! I do not know anything regarding age or specific hatch date. I discovered Mama Duck around my house- then the nest 2 days later in my garden. One night I was sitting near the window she nested near and heard a big “BANG” and my heart sank- a fox got Mama Duck (I saw the fox with her in the yard when I shined the flashlight to investigate). It was cold and raining so I scooped the eggs up within minutes, kept them warm while I did some research and made a fake bator. I realized you could candle them to figure out their age during my research and candled them 2 days later to find out they were a week (give or take a few days) old. I joined BYC and posted my first thread regarding their age. I posted candled egg pictures to get some advice on age. Someone said “Day 19”, so I went with that number because comparing egg candle charts and air sac charts, I came up with 18-22 at the time of the post. The air sac matched perfectly to day 22, but comparing the pictures of the “simulated” candle chart I second guessed the age and figured they could be as young as day 18 at the time. I candled every night and hand turned daily. I went to do my normal hand turning and when I did on what was supposed to be “day 24” (calculating from the day 19 advisement from someone else) I heard peep peep peep peep. I candled and sure enough I had my first internal pipper (the one I made the safety hole in). So I did not stop turning 3 days prior to “hatch/internal pip” because I thought they were younger. I don’t k ow if this may be what is affecting the one I made the safety hole in.

 

[X3Jack930]

Did the air cells draw down?

I just discovered a 3rd external pip!!!

I drew the air cells after I discovered the internal pip to see if they will be externally pipping properly- however yes- I candled every night since I did the first candle and they’ve correctly matched the “duck egg air sac diagram” to the T, now looking back. In my response prior to this- I posted a thread thinking they were 18-22 days old. I was second guessing myself on their age based upon the simulated duck egg candle chart thinking they could be at day 18 (at time of Guess my egg age post), but thought they should have been at day 22 based on air sac development and size.

 

[X3Jack930]

Did the air cells draw down?

On April 20th- I thought they could be 18-22 days old. 22 days based on air sac size, as young as 18 based on simulated duck egg candle chart. If they were indeed 22 days old on April 20, today would be day 29.

 

[X3Jack930]

Did the air cells draw down?

This is the April 20th thread about the age of my eggs with candling pictures

 

[X3Jack930]

Did the air cells draw down?

Actually my last three that need to pip- their air cells have drawn down A LOT since I drew them 32 hours ago!