Duck eggs?

[snickers1714]

Does anyone know anything about hatching duck eggs? I have a couple in an incubator now. One started to pip through the aircell and died before it got all the way through (no external pip) and the other one has pipped through the aircell but is still trying to get out. Any help would be nice? What should I look for and when to help them out?

[kc261]

I know nothing about duck eggs.

WAY back when I was a kid, my sister and I were in 4-H, and we had some show chickens and we'd incubate the eggs. My memory is not super clear and it might not apply to ducks, but here is what I remember.

We were very careful with temp and with keeping enough humidity. IF I recall correctly, one of the problems with not enough humidity was that the eggs got harder for the chicks to peck their way out. "Very careful" is somewhat relative. We did measure the temp, but it wasn't digital. We didn't measure the humidity, just kept the section built into the incubator for water full at all times.

As soon as a chick started hatching, we would help it by pulling away some of the pieces of shell. This might have been because they were tiny little bantams, so they weren't very strong. I do not remember if we would do anything to cut a hole in an egg that was due to hatch but did not start pipping out by itself.

I know most of the other people we knew who were raising show chickens pretty much did the same thing with helping them hatch. I know some of those people also had ducks, but I can't say if they treated the duck eggs the same way.

Hope this helps.

[mischevious21]

I agree with Casey, on that halping it out of the egg may help. But yea, I dont know too much about duck eggs either- aside form when I was little I stole one duck and one goose agg, and the duck egg hatched and joined a 'duck family', and the goose egg.. I trpped and fell afer my friend and I took it, and it smashed open and smelled horrible! But cut me some clack everyone- I was 5-6 years old! lol

[snickers1714]

thanks for the replies... i can hear the pecking getting weaker inside the shell so I am waiting for it to finally break through so i can keep and eye on it and help it if I need to. Thanks for the help though!

[snickers1714]

Wooo. He broke through.. I helped him alittle but he seems to be making headway by himself so I will monitor him but let him try by himself for a while.

[Chase13]

Pics now. I wanna see a baby duck.

[kc261]

Where are the pics!?!

[kc261]

This reminds me of a funny story from back when we used to be in 4-H. One of the other kids got permission to take their incubator to their school and hatch out some eggs. When the eggs hatched, one of the kids in the classroom was absolutely amazed and said: "Wow! I thought chickens were born all yellow and fluffy, but they come out of the egg all black and soggy!" LOL!!

Of course the black vs yellow part varies depending on the color of the chicken, but the soggy part sure is true!

[snickers1714]

this is the only pic I have... for now. It will probably be a day or two before he hatches out completely but I will update pictures periodicly. (sp?) I also took a video but I have no idea how I could show it to you guys..

[snickers1714]

duh I forgot to include the picture again.. haha..wow
I know its big but i haven't gotten this uploading thing down pat yet..

http://www.ball-pythons.net/gallery/.../6/4/hatch.jpg