Need More Help (Perhaps Hand Holding) with my Duck Eggs - Day 27

[1DuckMore]

And just about an hour later I have new two new beautiful Cayuga hatchlings! It’s difficult to not reach in and hold them. How long do I have to let them dry off? As soon as I can take them out and put them in their awaiting brooder box. I’ll get a photo. There is so much condensation its impossible to snap a good picture at the moment.

 

[Evadig]

Congratulations!!!

 

[Huntmaster]

Congrats

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I’m so sorry I missed this
I was cleaning the coop
If they bruise outside the air cell a safety hole is needed in the centre of the bruise
No bigger then a tiny pin hole
Those ones can take 47-72 hours to hatch as they miss the air cell time needed
Any that did internal pip need up to 24 hours to external
If not by then we make a tiny safety hole the size of a pin
They can take 24-48 more hours to hatch
I don’t continue to open the eggs when I assist until the 48 hours is passed unless I can candle the egg just above the air cell
Usually baby has moved down and it’s easy to see veins
I take my babies out once they are up walking
They may not be fully dry as long as they can get around they can find heat in the brooder.

 

[WhiteTreeOfGondor]

And just about an hour later I have new two new beautiful Cayuga hatchlings! It’s difficult to not reach in and hold them. How long do I have to let them dry off? As soon as I can take them out and put them in their awaiting brooder box. I’ll get a photo. There is so much condensation its impossible to snap a good picture at the moment.

Yay!!

Thank you so much! I haven’t intervened any further, and just in the last hour or so #5 and #7 are making real “headway!” They are also making quite a bit of noise! Yes, #7 did make its own external pip, but I made the safety hole. Seven has now made another external pip, but further away from the Air Pocket. However, in all my research they say that they usually still hatch out okay. I’m glad for the safety hole as it allows me to see that its breathing steadily. My Ancona (#10) has been at least rocking. But I don’t see any external pip of its own. I read some about bruising, and hoping that is not what I see as its large, and again, away from the air pocket. If it is this would be quite an irony as #10’s air pocket takes up more space than any of the others. It’s huge. I’ll take a photo and maybe you can give me your thoughts. I’m hoping its a shadow. I’ll include a picture of all of them, it’s wonderful to see progress! Thanks so much for sharing your time and knowledge!
First photo is #10, then #7 and then my rock stars, #9 & #5.

That does look like some bruising on #10, but that is often normal before an external pip. I have had ducklings externally pip on the wrong end and hatch unassisted but take longer than the rest. That could be what's going on. Since you made a safety hole, were you able to see the duckling inside the air cell?

 

[WhiteTreeOfGondor]

@1DuckMore How's it going?

 

[1DuckMore]

Oh, I have had a disaster.

I am heart broken and devastated. I had a beautiful Brooder box set up with an integrated heat lamp, all warmed up. But then yesterday I read that ducklings need a sleep/wake cycle too, and with my brooder, the light would have to be on all the time. It was 2am. So I got out a heat plate I also had, and put in the box and turned off the light. I let it come to temperature and then put my three beautiful Cayuga ducklings in. But 40 minutes later they were huddled together, shivering. It wasn’t warm enough in there, about 84 degrees according to the temperature gauge. So I thought I’d take the plate out and I’d just put the light on for this one night and work on a separate brooder for night time today. But by 4am. the thermometer said it was just 90 degrees. I made the mistake of putting a sweatshirt over the box, like I might put the styrofoam over the incubator to keep the heat in. And then I went to sleep. Big mistake. They were all dead from overheating when I woke up. I am devastated. And so, so sorry. They were perfect. I am a crying, heartbroke mess.

But I’ve got one egg left ready to hatch, my #10. It’s alive, but seems to be struggling. I can see its bill, there’s no shell above it but it cannot seem to turn to zip around. I need to try and focus on this one, but I’m afraid I’m going to make another mistake. If you can, please, please help me to get this one lone Ancona egg into life and in to tomorrow I’ll be forever grateful.

 

[WhiteTreeOfGondor]

Oh, I have had a disaster.

I am heart broken and devastated. I had a beautiful Brooder box set up with an integrated heat lamp, all warmed up. But then yesterday I read that ducklings need a sleep/wake cycle too, and with my brooder, the light would have to be on all the time. It was 2am. So I got out a heat plate I also had, and put in the box and turned off the light. I let it come to temperature and then put my three beautiful Cayuga ducklings in. But 40 minutes later they were huddled together, shivering. It wasn’t warm enough in there, about 84 degrees according to the temperature gauge. So I thought I’d take the plate out and I’d just put the light on for this one night and work on a separate brooder for night time today. But by 4am. the thermometer said it was just 90 degrees. I made the mistake of putting a sweatshirt over the box, like I might put the styrofoam over the incubator to keep the heat in. And then I went to sleep. Big mistake. They were all dead from overheating when I woke up. I am devastated. And so, so sorry. They were perfect. I am a crying, heartbroke mess.

But I’ve got one egg left ready to hatch, my #10. It’s alive, but seems to be struggling. I can see its bill, there’s no shell above it but it cannot seem to turn to zip around. I need to try and focus on this one, but I’m afraid I’m going to make another mistake. If you can, please, please help me to get this one lone Ancona egg into life and in to tomorrow I’ll be forever grateful.

Oh no, I'm so sorry. Don't beat yourself up about it. We all make mistakes and learn something each time.

Can you take a picture of the Ancona egg? Is its bill inside the air cell?

 

[Evadig]

Oh, I have had a disaster.

I am heart broken and devastated. I had a beautiful Brooder box set up with an integrated heat lamp, all warmed up. But then yesterday I read that ducklings need a sleep/wake cycle too, and with my brooder, the light would have to be on all the time. It was 2am. So I got out a heat plate I also had, and put in the box and turned off the light. I let it come to temperature and then put my three beautiful Cayuga ducklings in. But 40 minutes later they were huddled together, shivering. It wasn’t warm enough in there, about 84 degrees according to the temperature gauge. So I thought I’d take the plate out and I’d just put the light on for this one night and work on a separate brooder for night time today. But by 4am. the thermometer said it was just 90 degrees. I made the mistake of putting a sweatshirt over the box, like I might put the styrofoam over the incubator to keep the heat in. And then I went to sleep. Big mistake. They were all dead from overheating when I woke up. I am devastated. And so, so sorry. They were perfect. I am a crying, heartbroke mess.

But I’ve got one egg left ready to hatch, my #10. It’s alive, but seems to be struggling. I can see its bill, there’s no shell above it but it cannot seem to turn to zip around. I need to try and focus on this one, but I’m afraid I’m going to make another mistake. If you can, please, please help me to get this one lone Ancona egg into life and in to tomorrow I’ll be forever grateful.

I am so sorry.
I will pray for you and also that the duckling safely hatches.

 

[1DuckMore]

Something Wonderful has happened after the Sadness!

Meet #10! We’ve named him/her “Tennant” after the 10th Doctor of Dr. Who, who was the last of his kind. (Or that is what I understood). Tennant is the only survivor now of my first incubating efforts. Ten is currently resting on my chest, bright and curious, though weary from the battle.

I know you are supposed to have just one duckling. And I do have more duck eggs incubating, but they’ve got 15 days to go. What should I do? Immediately order myself two more live ducklings? Wait?

Please help me raise this precious little one properly. What’s your favorite peice of advice?

Thank you so much for your knowledge, help and understanding.

PS. Check out Tennant’s cool striped feet!