New (soon to be) duck dad! Muscovys! Need advice :D

[ljmastercraft]

 

[ljmastercraft]

So i had to open the incubator - just for 10 seconds. Had egg # 3 and #4 hatch, but after the 4 of them were roaming around the incubator, one of them got its head stuck in a hatched egg, and then the egg shell closed on its neck. I was worried it would hurt it, so i opened the incubator just to remove the 4 open shells and to free the one that had its neck stuck.

 

[ljmastercraft]

5th one just hatched. ther's a 6th that has a little piece of the shell broken off from where it pipped, and i can see it breathing inside. i'm not helping it, but let me know if i should. been pipped for 2 days now.

 

[Bolfreak]

Amg ducklings are so adorable!! I’m so glad it’s happening fast now and the wait is paying off finally. Let them do their thing in there unless assistance is needed, keep posting pics, too

 

[ljmastercraft]

I realize I might have signed this little guy's death certificate by doing this, but egg #1, one of the first to pip, 2 days ago, hadn't made any progress and was chirping and squeaking non-stop, the entire day. I candled it through the incubator, and looked like he had pipped on the opposite side of the air sac. It was kicking trying to get out, but couldn't. So i quickly took it and broke away some of the shell (being careful not to tear the membrane under the shell). Then i put it on a paper towel in the incubator to protect it from the fan (didn't want it to be dried out). Was this the wrong call? Should I make a pin-hole in the air-sac side, so it doesn't run out of air? It's making a lot of noise chirping, and lots of movement

 

[DukesDucks]

No don't help anymore. It has a big enough hole and the membrane is open so air will be able to get inside. It needs to be strong enough to break out itself. I know from experience that "helping" can indeed kill.
The ones that have hatched sure are cute. They don't need to stay in incubator for 24 hours. Once they are fluffy, you can take them out and put in brooder. Take out the first two together so that they are not alone in brooder, then add others as they dry.
Now that you know they can do it themselves, give the others more time. They may hatch over a couple of days.
Not sure why you decreased the humidity but I would put it back up. It is for the eggs not the ducklings.
Congrats. More patience.

 

[ljmastercraft]

No don't help anymore. It has a big enough hole and the membrane is open so air will be able to get inside. It needs to be strong enough to break out itself. I know from experience that "helping" can indeed kill.
The ones that have hatched sure are cute. They don't need to stay in incubator for 24 hours. Once they are fluffy, you can take them out and put in brooder. Take out the first two together so that they are not alone in brooder, then add others as they dry.
Now that you know they can do it themselves, give the others more time. They may hatch over a couple of days.
Not sure why you decreased the humidity but I would put it back up. It is for the eggs not the ducklings.
Congrats. More patience.

Ah ok, so once they're fluffy I can put them in the brooder. Got it. The 'brooder' is the cardboard box with puppy pads, and the standing heating element. Should I do that tonight before I go to bed?

Also on the humidity, i didn't do anything to decrease it - opened the vent, but humidity is 75%+, so was going to not fill up the water reservoirs in the incubator tonight. unless you think i should

 

[ljmastercraft]

transferred the first 5 to the brooder. another 3 just hatched

 

[DukesDucks]

I would not put them in the box but rather remove all the shaving and replace with puppy pads and let them have the whole space.
Could you explain how you are providing heat? It is important that the ducklings be able to go towards heat if they need it, but equally important that they can move away. My concern is that if they are in that box with heat directed in, they may get too hot.

 

[ljmastercraft]

I would not put them in the box but rather remove all the shaving and replace with puppy pads and let them have the whole space.
Could you explain how you are providing heat? It is important that the ducklings be able to go towards heat if they need it, but equally important that they can move away. My concern is that if they are in that box with heat directed in, they may get too hot.

So another 7 (!!!) hatched overnight, so total of 12. Unfortunately I had to leave for work this morning for the day, but I had a family member come check on them at noon. A 13th hatched (and is in the incubator drying out)

I had already removed all the shavings and put puppy pads down. The heat is a flat upright heating element, so they can move further away from it. I noticed they all huddled next to it. It was just slightly too hot to the touch for me, but didn't seem to bug them. I guess they have feathers/down so they aren't touch it directly.

See the attachment of what the 'brooder' looks like right now.

When I get home i'll work on teaching them to eat and drink from the water and feeder dispenser (at the one side of their brooder)

My plan was in a day or two, to remove the box, put a smaller little box (just for them to sleep), and let them have the entire pen. I was just a little worried the big 'pen' would be a littl intimidating for them right away.