Thread formerly known as Hatch day is today

[Amykins]

To me, an overly dark egg is either just about ready to hatch... or dead.

I'd give it a little more time. But that's my answer for most everything.

UPDATE!! I borrowed a pocket LED light from my friend just this evening, and when I held it up to the egg I saw something in there wiggling away! EEEEEE! Also I did in fact see a small bit of clear space between the air cell and the 'ling. Just goes to show ya the right tools can make a huge difference! But forget all that, I STILL HAVE A BABY!!!! *spins in circles*

 

[Amiga]

 

[Goin Quackrrs]

UPDATE!! I borrowed a pocket LED light from my friend just this evening, and when I held it up to the egg I saw something in there wiggling away! EEEEEE! Also I did in fact see a small bit of clear space between the air cell and the 'ling. Just goes to show ya the right tools can make a huge difference! But forget all that, I STILL HAVE A BABY!!!! *spins in circles*

Great news!

Those LED lights are the best for candling!

 

[hokankai]

My shipped eggs are halfway through their incubation and I'm still at 13/18! Kudos to K&S Waterfowl for such great packing!

 

[qwackers]

Amykins, hatching is really tough alot of the time, from what I have read here. You tried. We none of us know everything we always need to know especially the first time. And C. S. Lewis wrote,
“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”

Good quote! May have to use that one!

UPDATE!! I borrowed a pocket LED light from my friend just this evening, and when I held it up to the egg I saw something in there wiggling away! EEEEEE! Also I did in fact see a small bit of clear space between the air cell and the 'ling. Just goes to show ya the right tools can make a huge difference! But forget all that, I STILL HAVE A BABY!!!! *spins in circles*

Yayyy that's great news! That's one lucky duck!

 

[heatherscreations1969]

UPDATE!! I borrowed a pocket LED light from my friend just this evening, and when I held it up to the egg I saw something in there wiggling away! EEEEEE! Also I did in fact see a small bit of clear space between the air cell and the 'ling. Just goes to show ya the right tools can make a huge difference! But forget all that, I STILL HAVE A BABY!!!! *spins in circles*

Awesome....watching with interest babe

H

 

[Learningstill]

I started a new thread in ducks and someone responded referring me to this thread. I pasted my thread below. Thanks for any assistance!


Hello,

I am new to this forum, although I have referred to this site many times for information. My daughter joined the 4H last year and we have expanded our family tremendously since. We have had our first duck hatchlings yesterday and more that should finish today.

I will give some history...
Originally, our two bantam chickens were sitting on the duck eggs, but somehow a few were smashed and two of the four we brought in were cracked. We were not equipped to hatch ducklings and we grabbed a sand bucket and some straw then placed the four eggs under the heat lamp. We had them this way for approx. two-three weeks. We added water to the bottom of the bucket and misted the eggs, rotated them, and they continued to grow nicely. That was until two days ago, when we noticed that two internally pipped and the other two, which were the cracked two, were not moving that much. We moved the eggs into a clean tub and laid a clean towel down across the bottom. We also placed a humidifier next to the tub, with the lid of the tub directing the steam above the tub.

I decided to open the shell where the beak was for the first egg that internally pipped. When I did this I noticed it was surrounded by the interior lining, with the veins, of the shell which was white. I immediately dampened the lining and continued to help that duckling. That duckling finished hatching yesterday afternoon.

While I was working with duckling 1, I decided to open duck 2 and again this duck was worse off. I helped this one and decided to look at the other two with a flashlight. At this time, both the cracked eggs internally pipped. My daughter was worried that those two were worse, so we decided to open both of them. They were much worse, I think because of them being cracked.

Okay, now I am getting to the area I need some guidance. The two I opened last (cracked eggs), I left all day yesterday in their shell, but with the air pocket of shell gone. I used a q-tip to keep the yolks moist. One of them, what seems to be the weaker of the two, popped its head out late evening, which exposed its yolk more. I dampened it before bed around 11:00pm and again around 4:00 am and again around 5:30am and since then I have been keeping their yolks wet.
My question, can I keep the yolk too wet? Other question, should I keep their bodies a little wet? Their hair keeps drying up stiff-like because of them not being clean and the heat lamp combo.

Thank you in advance!

 

[qwackers]

What do you mean by keeping the yolks wet? Have they not absorbed them? I can only think you mean the membrane?? Sorry I'm abit confused.

 

[Learningstill]

I am pretty sure it's their yolk? I am new to this, but it is a yellow bump attached to them and the bottom of their shell. The other two had the same thing and it eventually disappeared and detached from their shell. I hope this helps! Any help would be great. I just do not want to lose these two, they were the underdogs from the beginning and they have made it this far....

 

[Learningstill]

I had read one time that you cannot let the yolk or membrane? dry out, so I have been keeping them wet. I did it with the other two, but they were stronger and they went through the process a bit faster. It worked like a charm for them; I just wanted to check a see if anyone would know if I can do harm wetting them, for instance too much water. I have been winging this from the beginning and I do not want to fail these babies, or my daughter.