So I set a bunch of duck eggs that were set to hatch the 4th of July. Last night (the 1st) I went to put them on lockdown and one of them has already pipped (it pipped in the auto turner). I quickly finished my business in the incubator (moving all the eggs and soaking the paper towels I put in for humidity) but now I am wondering- did it perhaps just happen to just pip early while not yet developed? Does the 'help after 48 hours of being pipped and not doing anything' apply to an egg that's pipped 3-4 days early? Obviously it's at risk of the membrane causing issues once pipped, but I feel like developing all the way first is also pretty important.
These are Pekin duck eggs, they are in a still air hovabator with the temp ~100 at the warmest spot. When I candled, they completely filled the egg. This one had pipped externally and one other had pipped internally when I pulled them off the turner. Due to the chicken eggs they'd been hatching with, the humidity was non-ideal for either hatch, around 60% (I picked middle ground between 40% and 80% and let the humidity drop when I cooled the eggs to candle and spayed the duck eggs daily for extra moisture). The chickens were fine with this when they hatched; 5/6 hatched (one died early, one died a few days after hatching).
Two of the four pekin eggs are chirping and 3/4 are rocking (the fourth may be a muscovy mix, my friend had no idea if it would take a little longer, so I'm not worried yet). Since they are making noise equivalent to noise they were making yesterday (no weakening in the chirps or movement) I am not terribly inclined to help. But the question is do I start help 48 hours after pip no matter when they are supposed to hatch, or do I start it 48 hours after they should have pipped (hatch day) to account for development?
These are Pekin duck eggs, they are in a still air hovabator with the temp ~100 at the warmest spot. When I candled, they completely filled the egg. This one had pipped externally and one other had pipped internally when I pulled them off the turner. Due to the chicken eggs they'd been hatching with, the humidity was non-ideal for either hatch, around 60% (I picked middle ground between 40% and 80% and let the humidity drop when I cooled the eggs to candle and spayed the duck eggs daily for extra moisture). The chickens were fine with this when they hatched; 5/6 hatched (one died early, one died a few days after hatching).
Two of the four pekin eggs are chirping and 3/4 are rocking (the fourth may be a muscovy mix, my friend had no idea if it would take a little longer, so I'm not worried yet). Since they are making noise equivalent to noise they were making yesterday (no weakening in the chirps or movement) I am not terribly inclined to help. But the question is do I start help 48 hours after pip no matter when they are supposed to hatch, or do I start it 48 hours after they should have pipped (hatch day) to account for development?
