Day 17 mallard seems small

[Duck_momma3100]

today is day 17 with my mallard egg in an incubator. Temp has been at 100 Fahrenheit, humidity has been in the 50-60s, but has been raised to 70s. Candled the egg today and saw so much movement but it seems small compared to everything I’ve read (this is my first time with an egg in an incubator). I believe on day 19 I should be taking out the automatic turner, but this lil guy seems small, what should I do?!

 

[SmiYa0126]

I thought ducks incubate longer? @BelovedBirds @Miss Lydia please help!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Don’t do a thing until we get someone who has be hatched using a bator seems way to early for doing anything. @KathiQuacks @My15Ducks @New duck mommy 2021

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

That does seem a bit small but hard to see with one picture
Humidity is way to high
I incubate at 45 till lockdown
High humidity can cause less moisture to escape egg
If baby is moving I wouldn’t worry to much
Just lower humidity to between 40-45 till lockdown

 

[Duck_momma3100]

That does seem a bit small but hard to see with one picture
Humidity is way to high
I incubate at 45 till lockdown
High humidity can cause less moisture to escape egg
If baby is moving I wouldn’t worry to much
Just lower humidity to between 40-45 till lockdown

When should lock down be? And if If drop the humidity to 40/45, do I increase at all at a later date? Should I candle it again to check development? If so what day? Also, I only have 1 egg in an incubator with with auto rotator, the egg had been in the middle since day 1, should I move it to another location in the incubator?

 

[KathiQuacks]

When should lock down be? And if If drop the humidity to 40/45, do I increase at all at a later date? Should I candle it again to check development? If so what day? Also, I only have 1 egg in an incubator with with auto rotator, the egg had been in the middle since day 1, should I move it to another location in the incubator?

You may be thinking of chicken eggs.
Lockdown for ducks is generally around day 25, but I’d agree it’s better to candle for an internal pip as their lockdown-indicator instead, starting around day 23-ish. It’ll look like a big, triangle-shaped shadow inside the air cell. Speaking of, where is the air cell? Is it that clear patch on the side of the egg?

I’d drop it and increase it again once baby goes into lockdown.
I’d imagine it’s okay where it is in the incubator.

 

[My15Ducks]

Just wanted to say that I had one embryo in my last batch of duck eggs that always looked small, behind the others. It hatched on day 28, a little small but perfectly healthy

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

When should lock down be? And if If drop the humidity to 40/45, do I increase at all at a later date? Should I candle it again to check development? If so what day? Also, I only have 1 egg in an incubator with with auto rotator, the egg had been in the middle since day 1, should I move it to another location in the incubator?

At day 25 is when normal lockdown is
I go more by my eggs instead but usually around that time
Egg will be full
Shadowing pushing on the air cell
Air cell will dip forward on one side really fast right before internal pip
Hatch date for a mallard is day 28
But can be a few days early or late
Only 1 egg is not ideal as babies do so much better with mates
Finding somebody in your area with babies hatching around the same time would be best
That way you can have a few lined up to grab if baby hatches