When should I put a safety hole in a call duck egg?

[Painted Calls]

Just realized you are new here. Welcome to BYC!!!

 

[CaliFarmsAR]

Welcome to BYC @Cheems!!!! Hope everything goes well with your Call ducklings hatch!

 

[Cheems]

How is white this morning? They do stop and sleep during the hatching process. It's a lot of work for those tiny little peepers!

White is doing AMAZING! All of them are so far, but white is definetely ready to come out. I am just having trouble getting the hole big enough because the air sac was a little small so I have to very very carefully remove some of the area outside of the air sac because I am thinking its just not enough room, but white has its foot out! and its wing and is wiggling like crazy. I don't know if last night white was ready to come out but certainly now and pastel is making process and I removed some of the membrane again, and nutmeg I removed just a little membrane and penciled isn't really ready for removing any membrane but is certainly making progress

For the picture, one thing id like to say is we are looking at it from above and there is shell beneath it, and on the sides. So I still have some more room for expanding the area to come out because its a little small

 

[Cheems]

Just realized you are new here. Welcome to BYC!!!

Welcome to BYC @Cheems!!!! Hope everything goes well with your Call ducklings hatch!

Thanks! I did join recently, I had some questions about my flock of chickens along with questions about the call duck hatching stuff so I decided to make an account and it was certainly not a mistake, I really appreciate all of the help from this forum, and the call duck hatching would certainly not have gone as smoothly. I am so excited to start my call duck flock! I have some chickens but this is my first time with call ducks, my sister is keeping some ducklings right now and I am excited to have my own ducklings too.

 

[Painted Calls]

White is doing AMAZING! All of them are so far, but white is definetely ready to come out. I am just having trouble getting the hole big enough because the air sac was a little small so I have to very very carefully remove some of the area outside of the air sac because I am thinking its just not enough room, but white has its foot out! and its wing and is wiggling like crazy. I don't know if last night white was ready to come out but certainly now and pastel is making process and I removed some of the membrane again, and nutmeg I removed just a little membrane and penciled isn't really ready for removing any membrane but is certainly making progress

For the picture, one thing id like to say is we are looking at it from above and there is shell beneath it, and on the sides. So I still have some more room for expanding the area to come out because its a little small

Perfect! Now leave the white be and he will do the rest on his own. Won't be long now!

So exciting!

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Picture of white now, pastel is not TOO far behind, but I haven't opened up the membrane much because its still chewing. The other 2 nutmeg and penciled are doing awesome, they just need a little more time in order to absorb that blood. White is doing exactly as shaw described! no longer chewing but really moving around and wiggling to get out and I expect it will hatch tonight. I am a little concerned though about the duckling being able to fit through that hole so I might have to widen it, but I am probably just paranoid, but I will widen it if neccisary, I am just afraid of causing bleeding if I go away from the air sac

That looks wonderful. You have done so good!
If you get to the point you are extremely worried about it.. you can pick the egg up and hold it in an upright position so it can't come all the way out of the egg..
Then gently go ahead and help it get its head out. Once the head is free you'll be able to look down in there and see if it has yolk left or a large belly bulge.
If it does that's when you would place it upright in your little cup and prop it up with some kleenex or paper towel in the half shell and wait for that to go down before you free at the rest of the way.

 

[Cheems]

That looks wonderful. You have done so good!
If you get to the point you are extremely worried about it.. you can pick the egg up and hold it in an upright position so it can't come all the way out of the egg..
Then gently go ahead and help it get its head out. Once the head is free you'll be able to look down in there and see if it has yolk left or a large belly bulge.
If it does that's when you would place it upright in your little cup and prop it up with some kleenex or paper towel in the half shell and wait for that to go down before you free at the rest of the way.

White had some yolk left to absorb when I freed the head. So I put it in a cup with a paper towel inside, and put the egg upright

 

[Cheems]

@shawluvsbirds @Overo Mare The duckling is still in the cup, but how long do you think I should keep the white egg in the cup upwards? should I wait for the whole thing to absorb? I don't really want to take it out too soon but I also don't want to keep it in there for longer than it needs to be in case its normal for a bit of yolk to be left, but its quite a bit of yolk and I am quite sure it needs to absorb it.

 

[Painted Calls]

I think itnwould be best for Shaw to answer that one. I have never dumped them from their shells lol.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

@shawluvsbirds @Overo Mare The duckling is still in the cup, but how long do you think I should keep the white egg in the cup upwards? should I wait for the whole thing to absorb? I don't really want to take it out too soon but I also don't want to keep it in there for longer than it needs to be in case its normal for a bit of yolk to be left, but its quite a bit of yolk and I am quite sure it needs to absorb it.

Leave it in that cup as long as it takes and as long as it will stay in it. Most of the time when I end up doing this I'll find it a few hours later having gotten on out of the shell.
Post a picture when you get a chance.