This is specifically a step by step guide to assisting with Call Ducks after incubation at 99.8' F and 35% humidity.
*After 23 days of incubation, I candle the eggs morning and night looking for an internal pip.
An internal pip is when the beak pierces through the inner membrane so it can take its firsts breaths of air. It looks like this:
*When I see the internal pip, as shown above, I raise the humidity to 55-60%. I get a sharp screw and tap a hole into the empty (bright white) part of the egg.
Like this:
* This is what we call a safety hole. It gives the call duckling a chance to get more air, so it doesn't die before it is ready to hatch. A safety hole looks like this:
*After leaving the call duckling alone for 8 - 12 hours, I widen the hole. I do this by slowly and gently breaking off some of the shell. When you chip back the shell to widen the hole, make sure the membrane isn't attached to it or it will bleed. If it starts to bleed don't panic, but have DRY paper towels to hold onto the bleeding area until it stops bleeding. A few seconds and it will stop.
Here's a picture of the hole after I widened it:
*There was a little blood but it stopped quickly, the call duckling was not distressed. Then I put coconut oil on the membrane area with a Q-tip like this:
*I put the call duckling back into the incubator. After 4 hours or so, the membrane had hardened and dried out like this:
*I put on more coconut oil and gently push back or take off the dried up membrane to free the call duckling. After removing or pushing back the membrane, it looks like this:
*After doing this the call duckling is noticeably more comfortable. After waiting for 4 more hours or so I try chipping off some more of the eggshell. Stopping if it starts to bleed, and drying it with the DRY paper towel and try again in 4 more hours.
When I'm able to open the egg large enough that the call duckling can push out on it's own, I gently pull the call ducklings head and neck out of the opening like this:
* I top off my waters in my incubator to jump up my humidity to 65 -70% again and leave the call duckling to push out on it's own.
Here is the duckling pushing out and resting:
*Here's the shell it pushed out from, but sometimes there is more hatching debris in them:
*Assisted hatches leave the call ducklings weak. It would help if you give them some sugar water every half hour or so for a few hours.
You will need to dip the tip their bill into the sugar water, they will not be able to drink on their own and ducks can dehydrate very quickly.:
*Very weak and tired. I put them back into the incubator to warm up and strengthen themselves between drinks of water.
*Here's the call duckling ready to go to the brooder:
Ready to join the others! :
Happy Hatching!
*After 23 days of incubation, I candle the eggs morning and night looking for an internal pip.
An internal pip is when the beak pierces through the inner membrane so it can take its firsts breaths of air. It looks like this:
*When I see the internal pip, as shown above, I raise the humidity to 55-60%. I get a sharp screw and tap a hole into the empty (bright white) part of the egg.
Like this:
* This is what we call a safety hole. It gives the call duckling a chance to get more air, so it doesn't die before it is ready to hatch. A safety hole looks like this:
*After leaving the call duckling alone for 8 - 12 hours, I widen the hole. I do this by slowly and gently breaking off some of the shell. When you chip back the shell to widen the hole, make sure the membrane isn't attached to it or it will bleed. If it starts to bleed don't panic, but have DRY paper towels to hold onto the bleeding area until it stops bleeding. A few seconds and it will stop.
Here's a picture of the hole after I widened it:
*There was a little blood but it stopped quickly, the call duckling was not distressed. Then I put coconut oil on the membrane area with a Q-tip like this:
*I put the call duckling back into the incubator. After 4 hours or so, the membrane had hardened and dried out like this:
*I put on more coconut oil and gently push back or take off the dried up membrane to free the call duckling. After removing or pushing back the membrane, it looks like this:
*After doing this the call duckling is noticeably more comfortable. After waiting for 4 more hours or so I try chipping off some more of the eggshell. Stopping if it starts to bleed, and drying it with the DRY paper towel and try again in 4 more hours.
When I'm able to open the egg large enough that the call duckling can push out on it's own, I gently pull the call ducklings head and neck out of the opening like this:
* I top off my waters in my incubator to jump up my humidity to 65 -70% again and leave the call duckling to push out on it's own.
Here is the duckling pushing out and resting:
*Here's the shell it pushed out from, but sometimes there is more hatching debris in them:
*Assisted hatches leave the call ducklings weak. It would help if you give them some sugar water every half hour or so for a few hours.
You will need to dip the tip their bill into the sugar water, they will not be able to drink on their own and ducks can dehydrate very quickly.:
*Very weak and tired. I put them back into the incubator to warm up and strengthen themselves between drinks of water.
*Here's the call duckling ready to go to the brooder:
Ready to join the others! :
Happy Hatching!
