Hatching Call Ducks

Today is the day I lockdown my incubator with my call duck eggs. I'm just wondering if anyone with hatching experience with these guys know where to set humidity when hatching. I've read a few different things.

I hatch waterfowl at 55%-65% and give them a mist of water a couple times a day. I have heard Calls are hard to hatch and sometimes need a little help...I would talk to someone with more experience before doing so, though.

Yes on humidity 60 to 65%

Depending on quality you might need to help. Keep an eye on things. If they are in the air cell but not making progress you can help in stages. There are a few good articles on the stages of intervention. Trick is not to jump the gun to early or they die. Patience is key.

Thanks guys! I've got the humidity set right. I'm hoping they'll be able to do it on their own. I'll be keeping a close eye on them. YIKES

One tip I use for all eggs...

If you get one of those babies that start to pip, but stall, and don't make any progress passed the initial perforation, I will drizzle a little warm water over the hole. The membranes wick the moisture inside and help out if things are getting a little dry in there.

Thanks Sue! 
I was looking up on line about helping the call babies and it says to candle if you're not seeing any pipping through egg as they could be through the membrane into the air pocket and need some assistant. They say poke a little hole through the egg just to allow air supply then let them contuine from there. My question is when would you candle them to see if they need help?

I would say if some are emerging and others are not. However, if everyone is still tucked in their shell....helping could be necessary or disastrous.

Schipperkesue wrote:One tip I use for all eggs...

If you get one of those babies that start to pip, but stall, and don't make any progress passed the initial perforation, I will drizzle a little warm water over the hole.  The membranes wick the moisture inside and help out if things are getting a little dry in there.

I use a little polysporin on any exposed membrane - not the stuff with pain killer in it, just the regular stuff - keeps the membrane moist longer and also makes it kinda invisible so you can see what's going on. I saw that tip somewhere online and I've used it a couple of times.

How exciting , waiting and watching .

I will wrap some in warm wet paper towel. Keep shell soft. ANy hatching egg thats stuck.

Okay I had one pip yesterday afternoon. When I woke up this morning no progress so helped him out a bit and open the pip hole up a bit bigger. He hasn't done much all day. I can see him moving and breathing chirping. I did wrap him in a wet paper towel as well. I just opened up the pip a little more for him and rewrapped him in the wet paper towel. I think he'll hatch out soon. I've got three other eggs in there with him that have moved a bit and had some tapping noise but no pips yet. So I went ahead and poked little air holes in them just to be on the safe side. I'm wondering how long calls usually take to hatch once they start? I'm really hoping I didn't mess anything up.

They can take a few days. If no more progress I will pop their tops off. If there is blood I put it back on and wrap them in wet towel and put them back in. If no blood I will leave the lid off and let them push out on their own. I find the ones I pull out early have wonky legs and usually end up splaying and getting euthed. If they push out on their own they do better.

It so hard to be be patient and not interven too early and at the same time not too late.

In my experience waterfowl take more time to hatch than land fowl.

Thanks! I'm feeling so anxious about them. I'm trying to just let them do their thing but it's really hard. I'll keep you posted and hope for a good outcome. I'll give that a try fuzzylittlefriend if he doesn't do anything more by bedtime. There wasn't any blood when I opened up the shell a little more around 4ish.

Well I'm happy to report the little call duck hatched yesterday morning. All my other eggs did not   . It was quite the experience for me as this was my very first hatch ever. I learned a lot from this little dude.
 I just put him in the brooder with some other chicks and he seems to be quite happy. I'm keeping a eye on him just in case the chicks pick on him so far so good.

Here's the photo for Buff: