# HELP PLEASE -Duck eggs due to hatch!



## MrsH (Aug 4, 2013)

Hi I'm wondering if someone can help me. I have 2 call ducks incubating at the moment. This is my first attempt at hatching. They are due to hatch today or tomorrow. I have stopped turning them and the incubator is currently on 37.5 degrees, humidity at 70%. The eggs have been wobbling quite a lot over the last 3 days! I have been looking all over the Internet to check my temperature and humidity are correct for 'lockdown' but can't find a definite answer anywhere. Should it be higher or have I got it correct? Does anyone know how long they take to hatch after they've started wobbling? I'm checking the incubator every 5 minutes, I feel like I'm going quakers lol. I don't think I can hear any noises coming from the eggs yet, does this mean they haven't pipped yet? Will it be obvious? I'm starting to get so nervous with the whole process. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


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## AlexArt (Apr 25, 2010)

I love call ducks they're so sweet!! If they're wobbling then you know they are alive which is always a positive thing!! It's a wait and see job I'm afraid, I run my inci's 'dry' so keep the temp at 37.9 and humidity at 35-42% the whole way through depending on the air cell size and only up the humidity when they have pipped to about 60% for water fowl, it goes up on it's own when the first few hatch to around 70% anyway but that's just what I've found works. At this point I wouldn't have thought the humidity will hurt either way and they can generate their own body heat to some extent so a few points off in any direction won't hurt. 
I'd leave alone for now, as every inci is different, and wait and see! The waiting I think is the worst bit!! They usually pip anything from 12 - 24hrs before hatching - you'll see a tiny hole appear near the dull end of the egg, they'll sit like that absorbing the rest of the yolk sac for ages using the hole as an air supply, then when they're ready you'll see the eggs start to unzip - the little tiny hole will get cracks radiating along from it in a sort of line round the egg, then pop they'll just appear! 

Leave to fluff up for 12hrs or so in the inci before moving to a brooder with food and water - make sure you have a very shallow dish with pebbles in it so they can't get totally wet, I always dip the ducklings/chicks beaks in it when I put them in their box just so they get the idea - they'll want to swim but aren't waterproof until their feathers are through!! 
And make sure you have duck safe chick crumbs - avoid anything with a coccidiostat in it as it kills ducklings as they eat too much compared to a chick so can die as the dose is too high for them - ask your feed merchant, it should also say on the packet. Good luck I hope they hatch - and put some pics up when they do as call ducklings are the cutest things going!!!


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## MrsH (Aug 4, 2013)

Thank you so much for your response, I've been sat all day waiting for someone to reply to my thread. You've given me a lot of reassurance. Still no signs of any pipping yet but I will be sure to post a picture if the hatch all goes to plan. Keep your fingers crossed for me


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## kodakkuki (Aug 8, 2011)

well i'll be watching this thread pretty impatiently!! lol#

good luck momma-duck!


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## MrsH (Aug 4, 2013)

Ok so we have our first crack  It happened just before we were heading for bed last night. We've also heard some cheeping coming from the eggs. I've tried to attach a picture so hopefully you can see it ok. I'm a bit worried that is should be a hole so little ducky can breath or is this how it starts? After a restless night I rushed down stairs this morning to check on their progress but nothing else has happened  the little dudes are still wobbling though so at least I know they are still alive. I'm so nervous, I really hope they arrive without any complications.


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## AlexArt (Apr 25, 2010)

That's totally normal and I'd leave well alone and just keep watching - they can take ages to re-absorb the yolk, I've had one that pipped and 2 days later hatched fine!


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## MrsH (Aug 4, 2013)

We are now the proud parents of 2 beautiful ducklings. The first one (Scramble) was born at 11.30 last night and the 2nd (Alan) at 8.30 this morning. What a fascinating experience watching them hatch. I'm sure they are too young to sex at the moment but if any of you experts out there have an idea it would be great to know what you think. 

Thank you so much for the advice guys it really did put my mind at ease and allowed me to enjoy watching these beautiful creatures enter the world.

'One Very Happy Momma Duck'


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## lilythepink (Jul 24, 2013)

aw congrats.


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## AlexArt (Apr 25, 2010)

Sooooo cute!!! Congrats!! Sex - not sure but the darker one looks like a male and the white one a female - the beak sizes are usually shorter on the females in calls, but just a guess, ducks can always surprise you, one of my runner drakes turned into a girl last year!!!


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## Elizabeth Hughes (Oct 17, 2016)

Well reading this has helped me so much, I am hatching call ducklings first time ever hatching anything and 2 eggs appeared to be cracking open and then nothing... so I now know that it can take a while for them to get it all done, I will be patient and just wait and see.


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## Elizabeth Hughes (Oct 17, 2016)

Awww your ducklings are just gorgeous. I love their names too.:Happy


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## boxermum (Mar 25, 2010)

Hi hatching call ducks in my incubator question is how long can they last in the air sack before pipping externally? One has hatched already but can still hear cheeping from one eggs that was internally pipped at least 36 hrs ago!


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