Call duck hatch help

[Audio51]

Hoping for some help from @Lacrystol. I have 14 call duck eggs in my Brinsea 20. Temp is set at 99.5 and humidity was at 50% until lockdown, then bumped to 65. I candled at lockdown and there were 3 that had stopped at some point. Day 26 was 5/16 and we are at 5/20 now. 4 hatched yesterday with only 1 needing any help. I found that one of the remaining eggs was leaking green and another just stopped, leaving 5 with live, moving chicks inside. However, those 5 have not even internally pipped yet at Day 30. Is there anything I should do at this point? A couple of them have pretty big air cells and I am concerned that they are going to suffocate before they can internally pip.

 

[chickens really]

Best wishes...

 

[casportpony]

Hoping for some help from @Lacrystol. I have 14 call duck eggs in my Brinsea 20. Temp is set at 99.5 and humidity was at 50% until lockdown, then bumped to 65. I candled at lockdown and there were 3 that had stopped at some point. Day 26 was 5/16 and we are at 5/20 now. 4 hatched yesterday with only 1 needing any help. I found that one of th remaining eggs was leaking and another just stopped, leaving 5 with live, moving chicks inside. However, those 5 have not even internally pipped yet at Day 30. Is there anything I should do at this point? A couple of them have pretty big air cells and I am concerned that they are going to suffocated before they can internally pip

@Audio51, , sorry for your losses. @Lacrystol hasn't been on BYC since 5-8-2018, but @WVduckchick, @Pyxis, and @Ravynscroft might have some suggestions for you.

 

[WVduckchick]

Day 30 is pretty far over due, seeing as others have hatched. Calls often quit right before hatching, and are often unable to hatch without help. At this point, I don't believe a tiny safety hole would do any harm. That's what I would do.

 

[chickens really]

Keep waiting..Did you set these all at the same time?..
Calls are not that hard to hatch at all ..Timing is critical in hatching them.

 

[Audio51]

I have another pipped in the last hour or so, but nearer the small end. The safety hole was what I was wondering about. All were set at the same time so I would have expected them all to be ready about the same time, but they were brought to me to hatch for a friend and not sure about age or handling prior to that. I know calls are tough, so was relieved when the first one was successful, but with help. The other 3 had no problem on their own, but we are getting pretty far out from due date so I don't want them to go too long without some attempts to get them air if that will make a difference. I will make an air hole in the big end on the 4 remaining unpipped but active ones and keep an eye on all of them. That one that is pipped near the wrong end may need help. I am thinking that may be what happened with the one that was "leaking". Thank you all for your help and I will keep you posted!!!

 

[Pyxis]

Day 30 is pretty far over due, seeing as others have hatched. Calls often quit right before hatching, and are often unable to hatch without help. At this point, I don't believe a tiny safety hole would do any harm. That's what I would do.

I agree, X2. You said your temperature was 99.5, did you double check that with a thermometer you know to be accurate? And is your incubator still air or forced?

Day 30 is very late for Calls. The trouble with Calls is, good quality Calls - the ones that conform to the breed standard - have very short necks and beaks, which makes it very hard for them to hatch on their own. So a lot of times they need help and aren't able to hatch, and end up quitting right before hatch.

 

[Audio51]

So when I rechecked them 3 more had pipped. I made a hole on the 1 remaining unpipped, but it looked like that one had already died. So had one of the ones that had pipped. I have 3 more viable ducklings that are working hard to get out. I am helping them slowly and they are making progress. I am hoping they are out before bedtime as I will worry they will be too tired and not get out at all. I have high hope as they are all close to 50% zipped with help but there is still some blood in the membranes. I am just making a tiny snip at a time on each side of the hole and then letting them rest for an hour or so. I know if I go too quickly they can bleed out or hatch with yolk unabsorbed and not survive. If these 3 make it that will be 7 out of 11 of the ones that made it to past the 21 day mark.

 

[Audio51]

@Pyxis ...I did double check the temp with my SpotCheck and it has been pretty reliable for me. The incubator is a Brinsea Octagon 20 so forced air with a humidity pump and auto cradle. I am surprised at how late they are but am wondering if it has anything to do with having a cooldown cycle set. I do it with chicken eggs and it seems to improve my hatches,so left it set for the calls. I didn't really research to see if it might affect them. Eggs are an their sides and have been throughout the incubation.

 

[Miss Lydia]

How's hatch going today? progress?