Well, we blew it - We are on Day 23 of Duck Incubation and the Air Sack is Day 14

[DuckMagistra]

Whenever I dry hatch, I don't add water until I see pips. With that said I still keep an eye on humidity and air cells.

Sounds good. I will steal my husband's humidity reader from his humidor. What humidity should I shoot for during lockdown after the first pip?

 

[HeatherKellyB]

Guide to Assisted Hatching for All Poultry

Here is the article I refer to before any intervention. Since you've hatched ducks before, you know how painfully slow it can be

 

[DuckMagistra]

This is tough without knowing the humidity. Since you have been incubating dry, I would get a hydrometer before adding water. When you were referring to misting earlier, you were talking about raising the humidity in preparation for hatch?

OK, so, just to be clear. From day 1, we had the vents closed and added water each day. We lost the ability to read humidity early in the first week, and we just added a little (too much) each day, eye balling it (sigh)k. Two days ago, I candled and realized that our air cells were too small and so I opened the vents and stopped adding any water. The eggs have been like that since Day 21 -- no added water and open vents. I was planning on locking them down on Day 25 (Monday night) and then spraying them once to raise the humidity in prep for the hatch. I will find out the humidity before adding water. What humidity should I shoot for on Day 25-28?

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I just had this issue
Out of 11 eggs 8 had smaller air cells
I dropped humidity to 30% and in 48 hours a big difference already
Don’t start lockdown till you see shadowing that looks like it’s about to internal pip
I’m checking my eggs every 4-5 hours so I don’t miss it
I’m on day 24 today and my air cells have grown and dipped in all of them but 3 babies still showing more light through the egg then I would like I don’t think they have turned yet
I had a bunch rocking last night on day 23 so I did stop the turning and placed them with dipped air cell up but didn’t up my humidity as no internal pips yet
The ones still showing more light I am still misting as it has the opposite affect and pulls it out
I just take them out and mist as I don’t want my bator spiking yet
A few of mine should hatch on time but a few will probably be a day or 2 later
I also never put my vent plugs in

 

[HeatherKellyB]

Sounds good. I will steal my husband's humidity reader from his humidor. What humidity should I shoot for during lockdown after the first pip?

Once you have an external pip or safety hole you'll want to bump the humidity up to around 65% to prevent shrink wrapping.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I would leave those vents open. Keep a close eye on the air cells. Raise humidity once you see pips. Do you remember what the humidity was the last time you hatched?

 

[DuckMagistra]

I just had this issue
Out of 11 eggs 8 had smaller air cells
I dropped humidity to 30% and in 48 hours a big difference already
Don’t start lockdown till you see shadowing that looks like it’s about to internal pip
I’m checking my eggs every 4-5 hours so I don’t miss it
I’m on day 24 today and my air cells have grown and dipped in all of them but 3 babies still showing more light through the egg then I would like I don’t think they have turned yet
I had a bunch rocking last night on day 23 so I did stop the turning and placed them with dipped air cell up but didn’t up my humidity as no internal pips yet
The ones still showing more light I am still misting as it has the opposite affect and pulls it out
I just take them out and mist as I don’t want my bator spiking yet
A few of mine should hatch on time but a few will probably be a day or 2 later
I also never put my vent plugs in

I have 17 eggs. Should I just take a sampling or try and find the first one that pips?

 

[DuckMagistra]

I would leave those vents open. Keep a close eye on the air cells. Raise humidity once you see pips. Do you remember what the humidity was the last time you hatched?

65-70%?

 

[DuckMagistra]

Once you have an external pip or safety hole you'll want to bump the humidity up to around 65% to prevent shrink wrapping.

OK, do NOT increase the humidity until an EXTERNAL pip or safety hole? Not internal? Do you use a screw or a drill bit?

 

[DuckMagistra]

Guide to Assisted Hatching for All Poultry

Here is the article I refer to before any intervention. Since you've hatched ducks before, you know how painfully slow it can be

Great read. So precise.