Weird air cell

[davekrista]

Ok. So last night I had noticed one of my eggs had a crack from the inside. Well today, a couple more have it as well.... I noticed when I candled the egg last night that it had a very weird shape air cell. And it WAS moving. This is my first hatch so i'm no sure if i should be concerned. I'm on day 23.

This is not the best picture, my batteries died right after i clicked the picture but i think you can get the idea of the air cell. Please let me know if I should be concerned or wha I should expect with an air cell like this.

 

[katharinad]

You have been turning them 4 times per day? Right? Otherwise you are so close to lock down and I would be very cautious and try not to do anything. You may even have an early hatch. So just put them back and let it be.

Can't see anything in the picture. It is too small to make out anything.

 

[CityChicker]

That's normal. The eggs have pipped. It looks like that egg has lost a little too much weight, but of course, it is hard to tell from a picture and we regularly have some that have lost that much weight hatch just fine. The cracks in the shell obviously are pipping. You need to put the eggs in your hatcher and leave them alone for the next few days and you should have some ducklings soon.

Editing to add- As far as it being day 23, for some of the bantam ducks that is within the realm of normal. Some of ours, like our Silver Bantams, sometimes pip day 23 and often by day 24. For larger ducks though, that is much earlier than normal (for us anyway). What type of ducks are they? It sounds like your temperature may have been a little too high and your humidity a little too low.

 

[davekrista]

Quote:
I have been turning 3 to 4 times a day depending on my schedule. I have NOT touched them at all today, other than turn them. I had taken that pic last night when I found the crack. The crack in that pick on on the opposite side where it is black. I was just wondering about the air cell and if the chick would make it with an air cell like that? I am going to get the brooder ready for when they hatch and start thinking about that but want to be prepared. IF there will be problems due to the shape of the cell, then I would like to know the possibilities and be prepared for what could happen.

 

[duckyfromoz]

The actual shape of the air cell isnt too much to worry about- Its the size that indicates the moisture loss during incubation. Of the crack is on the the side it means the duckling is just in the wrong position in the egg. It hasnt pipped into the aircell but underneath as it is upside down in the egg. The duckling will turn while it unzips- so it wont stay upside down.

As for your photo - what has happened is... The duckling being very large inside the egg, and moving to get ready to hatch has pulled some of the membrane away from the egg. The shaddowy appearance is because the membrane is very close to the shell- with just a very small pocket of air between them.

 

[CityChicker]

Okay, I am going to try this one more time and be as diplomatic as possible. Having gone back and read your other thread, if the duckling has pipped in the dark area, not the air cell, it is obviously malpositioned. There is not much that can be done about that other than to assist it if it can't hatch itself. In this situation, never in a million years would you want to seal over the pip with wax. That is like throwing a drowning person an anchor. Also, there is no arbitrary day to go into lockdown. You go into lockdown and up the humidity when you see internal pip, and CERTAINLY by the time you see external pip. The advice to hold off on that simply because it is not the "right day" is also not what I would deem to be sensible advice.

If the ducklings pip early, you should assume there is a mistake in dates or that your temperature was wrong, and respond accordingly. You can't turn back time and make them not pip (or seal them in with wax, LOL). They are not reading the same book the person is that is parroting information to you that says they shouldn't have pipped. I mean really think about this and approach it with common sense. My advice is based on over 25 years of experience and as a Poultry Science major. I would think my input would be valued. If not, you can certainly go with the advice to seal them in with wax and not up the humidity if you feel that makes better sense. Good luck to you!

 

[CityChicker]

Quote:
x2 This is good advice and all correct. I would seriously go by this and the advice I gave you and completely ignore what you were told in your other thread, davekrista. Your choice though.

Editing to add- Also OP, I am not trying to be rude, but I just noticed you have a THIRD thread on this very same situation, all three threads with different information from you. That makes it very difficult for people to help you. You should really keep it to one thread and include all your information in that one thread so that people do not have to investigate further and go through all your other threads, which they may or may not even realize you have started. I am only trying to help you get better advice, so I hope you take that in the spirit it is given.

 

[davekrista]

Quote:
My eggs are all pekin ducks. And my temp has been 99-100 and humidity for the most part 55%-57% - there was once I had a little trouble bringing the humidity back up when I got rid of a porous egg but when I finally added hot water instead of room temp water it came up just fine. And I haven't taken them out since about 10:15 or so last night. That is when I took that pic but was concerned of the shape and if it would make it.

I wasn't sure if it was an actual pip though because its more of a "crack" and isnt like poked out. Its still smooth. I have been keeping an eye on things but have not going into lock down just yet.

 

[davekrista]

Quote:
I did NOT seal it in any way. There was not really anything to seal as it was cracked from the inside and not the outside. I didn't put in lock down yet as far as shutting the fan down and putting the humidity up. Should I do that now? Should I candle before I do that? Now I'm confused..... I realize everyone has their own way of doing things and this is my first time so I don't want to hurt any babies by putting in lockdown early or not going into lockdown when i should.....

 

[davekrista]

Quote:
x2 This is good advice and all correct. I would seriously go by this and the advice I gave you and completely ignore what you were told in your other thread, davekrista. Your choice though.

Editing to add- Also OP, I am not trying to be rude, but I just noticed you have a THIRD thread on this very same situation, all three threads with different information from you. That makes it very difficult for people to help you. You should really keep it to one thread and include all your information in that one thread so that people do not have to investigate further and go through all your other threads, which they may or may not even realize you have started. I am only trying to help you get better advice, so I hope you take that in the spirit it is given.

I didn't realize my husband had posted last night about it as well. I am the one that is doing the hatching so I'm not sure why he posted. Sorry for the confusion. I didn't realize there were 3 threads...... THis is the thread that I am using though since it is the recent.... Sorry for the confusion