Some eggs internally pipped, some not... Okay to go into lockdown mode early?

[SFDucks]

We've got about 3 or 3.5 days left on the 28 day countdown. A few of our Welsh Harlequin eggs are already pipped internally, but the larger Silver Appleyard eggs are not. Should we start in on lockdown mode earlier than planned or let those internally pipped guys hang out for another 1.5 days? I'm not sure what is worse, the extra humidity and lack of rotating for the eggs that haven't pipped yet, or making the internally pipped guys wait a little longer for increased humidity and some peace from the automatic rotator. Any opinions? Leaning toward sticking to standard timeline but don't want to screw up the guys that might be a little bit ahead of schedule. Thanks for any feedback.

 

[SFDucks]

Looks like all but two of the ducklings are wiggling about within their air sacks. We can hear them tapping on their shells. I will probably lock it down before I go to bed tonight unless anyone has any objections.

 

[SFDucks]

One started cracking through its shell so we went ahead and locked it down last night. This morning two more starting to break through. Hopefully we'll have ducklings within the next two days!

 

[SFDucks]

Five out of seven have started to crack their shells, hopefully the others get their act together soon and hopefully they can all break through that tough membrane.

 

[txcarl1258]

Sounds like you locked them down at the right time. An extra day of turning them isn't going to hurt. What is most critical is raising the humidity. I keep mine at 60% during lockdown.

 

[SFDucks]

One duckling hatched!

 

[Amiga]

How are things?

 

[SFDucks]

Pretty good! Two more hatched this afternoon. I'm almost certain one of the remaining four has died in the egg without ever cracking its shell. I've kept it in the incubator just in case and will take a closer look once we're past the twenty-eight day mark. We still have another twenty-four hours before twenty-eight days is up so I am not too worried about the three remaining eggs. They all have holes in the membrane and seem to be moving about, although admittedly with less vigor than the first three which practically jumped out of their shells.

 

[SFDucks]

Well, ten hours later and still no progress on the remaining three that have made holes in their shells. Do they usually do much overnight? Feeling less and less confident that these remaining three are going to make it out.

 

[SFDucks]

Just talked to my wife and two more are making their way out unassisted while I am at work. So that just leaves one pipped egg and one unpipped egg. The last pipped egg has been pretty quiet but hopefully it figures things out. At this point I'm almost certain the unpipped egg is not going to make it. Time will tell!