The Duck Thread

[sryglet]

What should a fertile egg look like at like 2 - 2.5 days incubation? I can see the yolk, it looks really dark where the yolk is. The yolk moves slightly when I move the egg. The yolk is near the small tip of the egg.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

What should a fertile egg look like at like 2 - 2.5 days incubation? I can see the yolk, it looks really dark where the yolk is. The yolk moves slightly when I move the egg. The yolk is near the small tip of the egg.

You wouldn't see anything at 2 days Here is something you can check out-->http://www.metzerfarms.com/Candling.cfm.

Are you incubating the egg with the larger end up and turning it? The yolk should be more centered than it sounds like it is. Be very careful handling and jarring it. Embryos are very susceptible to vessel damage at that stage.

 

[sryglet]

The egg is in a simple incubator on its side, I turn it three times a day and make sure that it's on a different side each night.

 

[sryglet]

The incubator is set to 99.5 and 40% humidity. It's not in a tray of any kind, just laying on its side. I marked it with an "x" and an "o" so I know which side to turn it to.

 

[Reese7383]

Hello, it's been a while since I've stopped in. Today it's a sad occasion. I have 6 drakes I need to rehome ASAP!!!! I'M moving this weekend, and can only take two.

The ones available are 2 pekins, 3 rouens and one, well I don't know his breed, but he's beautiful. The oldest are 5-6 months old, youngest are 3-4. I have pictures available upon request.

 

[sryglet]

You wouldn't see anything at 2 days Here is something you can check out-->http://www.metzerfarms.com/Candling.cfm.

Are you incubating the egg with the larger end up and turning it? The yolk should be more centered than it sounds like it is. Be very careful handling and jarring it. Embryos are very susceptible to vessel damage at that stage.

I *think* what I was seeing is actually the air sack. It moves slightly (I was being super delicate) but is definitely attached to the shell because it doesn't move far.
I just read a very long article on incubation... it sounds to me like I'm doing everything I can - the thermometer is properly calibrated, the humidity is right, we're turning it an odd number of times a day - so hopefully it's fertilized and survives! I'll post updates and, most likely, more questions!

 

[JadeComputerGal]

I *think* what I was seeing is actually the air sack. It moves slightly (I was being super delicate) but is definitely attached to the shell because it doesn't move far.
I just read a very long article on incubation... it sounds to me like I'm doing everything I can - the thermometer is properly calibrated, the humidity is right, we're turning it an odd number of times a day - so hopefully it's fertilized and survives! I'll post updates and, most likely, more questions!

Hope it works our for you! That's the same temp and humidity I use this time of year. I know it's really, really hard, but you should try to hold off on candling again until it's at one week. The vessels forming during that time are extremely fragile and can easily be damaged. That's why it's so common to get blood rings in shipped eggs. I try to be very hands-off with mine, so the only time mine get handled is when I candle on Sundays.

 

[caesargirl]

What should a fertile egg look like at like 2 - 2.5 days incubation? I can see the yolk, it looks really dark where the yolk is. The yolk moves slightly when I move the egg. The yolk is near the small tip of the egg.

And I keep all my eggs on their sides either the big end slightly elevated and if the air sacs are very wonky big end all the way up. For a moving air sac I would keep the egg upright (big end) giving the sac time to anchor. If I were in your position, I'd do that for a week tilting the egg only slightly back and forth in the upright position. I use an egg carton section with the bottom cut out for air circulation. Treating it as if it were a shipped egg, so to speak.

 

[sryglet]

And I keep all my eggs on their sides either the big end slightly elevated and if the air sacs are very wonky big end all the way up. For a moving air sac I would keep the egg upright (big end) giving the sac time to anchor. If I were in your position, I'd do that for a week tilting the egg only slightly back and forth in the upright position. I use an egg carton section with the bottom cut out for air circulation. Treating it as if it were a shipped egg, so to speak.

I think that the air sac was anchored - it only moved maybe half a centimeter while being moved. I thought that not turning them was bad for them? Also, why do you put the big end up? Everything I've read says that you just incubate them upright to decrease the space that they take up, and that incubating upright reduces hatch rate. Isn't incubating on its side closer to how it would naturally be incubated by mom? Not trying to be argumentative in the least, just very curious!

 

[JadeComputerGal]

I think that the air sac was anchored - it only moved maybe half a centimeter while being moved. I thought that not turning them was bad for them? Also, why do you put the big end up? Everything I've read says that you just incubate them upright to decrease the space that they take up, and that incubating upright reduces hatch rate. Isn't incubating on its side closer to how it would naturally be incubated by mom? Not trying to be argumentative in the least, just very curious!

CG is offline right now, so I'm going to respond to this so you don't have to sit there and worry.

If you have loose or detached air cell, the best way to try to get it stabilized is to keep the eggs upright without turning, only slight tilting. It doesn't sound like that's what you have. They'll all move around a little. What you don't want to see is the air cell actually moving around in the egg. The easiest way to think of it is to think of a bubble level. You know how the air in those will shift back and forth as you raise and lower the level? I've seen air cells fully detached so that the egg really works like a level. If you lay it on its side, the air cell will come to the side and move the same way a level does. An air cell that shifts out of position from the large end of the egg will rarely produce a duckling.