Urgent Duckling Help - Lockdown Question

[DuckityLove77]

I think you are fine

Thanks!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I think you are fine

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi!

My 11-year-old daughter and I are new and posting together here as we try for the first time to hatch Rouen ducklings! We posted this earlier but another kind member told me it was in the wrong place, so I'm hoping this is the correct spot! Can someone please provide advice on how to set the humidity for lockdown for our group of eggs based on the history?

Background: We are using a Genesis Hova-Bator styrofoam incubator with a fan. We have spent hours over the past weeks reading in the learning center, printing articles, reading forums and want to THANK YOU for sharing information that we have already applied – especially @WVduckchick, @Ravynscroft, @pete55, @Sally Sunshine, @Miss Lydia, @casportpony and so many others I can’t list them all.

We bought Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks, and followed the initial recommendation of 99.5 degrees Farenheit and 55% relative humidity. A local duck farmer provided us with 28 Rouen duck eggs, 23 were fertile, and we lost 1 egg in the first week. As of Day 24, in candling we saw good blood vessels and movement in all 22 remaining eggs. 4 of the eggs showed what we think were attempts at internal pips while we candled – which was so exciting! I'm including a photo from the video we took when we *think* we saw an attempt at an internal pip. The shadow went back and forth into the air sac.
View attachment 1354544
What we discovered over the last week through candling was that the air sac was not large enough, so we removed all water from the trough, but misted once a day. The humidity definitely dropped. There was definite progression in the size of the air sacs, but now at Day 24 many eggs have air sacs measuring about a Day 21 size of development. Some eggs look they have good air sac sizes, so it's a mixed status of development. I’m including a photo, but am not sure how well it shows the pencil markings of the air sacs.
View attachment 1354545
What is your recommendation for humidity during lockdown for this group of eggs? My understanding is that the humidity affects how rubbery or easily penetrable the air sac is for the internal pip and that is of utmost i mportance for duckling success. However, I also read that high humidity is a must for the last days during lockdown so membranes don't dry out.

I would love for an experienced eye to look at these eggs and provide a recommendation. We don't want the ducklings to struggle or to drown and we are torn!

Thank you in advance!

 

[DuckityLove77]

Glad you joined us!

A few of the pencil marked air cells do look a little small, but many look just fine! You could either wait one extra day to bump the humidity up, like on day 26, or even late day 25, but if you are already seeing internal pips, it needs cranked up immediately. Sometimes they will press on the membrane and stretch it, but not actually puncture it. The pic appears to be just pressing, but its hard to be sure just from a picture.

I would bump the humidity to about 65-70%ish. When they start hatching, it will naturally increase with wet bodies, so don't be alarmed. It will be fine, and will settle back down.

Good luck, and I hope you will keep us posted!

Here's the update! We candled the eggs and everyone was moving. A few looked like they had internally pipped and a few looked like they were trying to internally pip but didn't actually break the membrane. On Tuesday, April 24 we put water in 2 troughs, bumped up the humidity and went into lockdown.
It's now Thursday, April 26 and nobody has externally pipped. We quickly but gently candled 2 eggs and they had definitely internally pipped! As soon as they heard my voice, they went crazy tapping on the shell. The humidity and temp only dropped a few % points from our check, so I don't think we disrupted incubator conditions too much.
At this point, I'm wondering:
1. Should we candle all the eggs?
2. Should make a safety external pip on those we can tell internally pipped?
We read all the articles about the dangers of messing up the incubator hatching conditions and also about ducks in danger of getting stuck. I'm torn! And honestly, a bit sick to my stomach worrying about them. I'd appreciate some advice! Thank you!!!

 

[Ducks_4_me]

Leave them alone and they'll come home ;-)

 

[DuckityLove77]

We have our first external pip! This is one of the eggs that we know had pipped internally 2 days ago. The other egg that popped internally just rocked!
@WVduckchick @Miss Lydia

 

[littlecollier]

Yay! So exciting!!

 

[DuckityLove77]

@littlecollier - Thank you! We are definitely jumping around rejoicing over here! So much for bedtime... How are your little ones doing?

 

[DuckityLove77]

Leave them alone and they'll come home ;-)

We hope so!

 

[littlecollier]

They are so active it’s crazy! I took a video when I candled on Wednesday, just have to figure out how to post it.

We are going into lockdown on 5/1. Fingers crossed until then!!

Can’t wait to hear all about your little ones!