Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My Pekins are laying eggs even after I specifically told them not to. They are not very good Mothers and basically just dump eggs and run off to play, so I've taken it upon myself to try and hatch the eggs. Not many have gone through to term, but three have and one pipped this morning. How long will it take the duckling to hatch out of the shell from the time it pips? Also, should I continue turning the eggs after they pip? Any advice would be appreciated.

Ducklings usually start pipping a day before hatching, but sometimes earlier. However its very important NOT to turn over the egg the last 3 days before hatch. DO NOT turn the egg.

If you need anymore info please tell me

Hey,

I have not personally incubated eggs in an incubator, but my Muscovys every year incubate and successfully hatch their own eggs/ducklings.
Firstly it is unnecessary to turn the eggs in the two days before hatching.
Pipping is the process where the developing embryo's change from allantoic respiration to using it's lungs. The pipping is actually caused by the embryo's neck muscles, as they start to twitch due to the increase of carbon dioxide. The beak jabs upwards and pierces the allantois and then the air sac, allowing the duckling to take it's first breath into it's lungs.
The ducklings that i have had all started to pip between 2 - 4 days before hatching, the variation can be dependent on many factors.
Good luck - i hope everything goes well.

Mel X

Thank you for your previous advice. I have some other issues now. One of the eggs did make it through the entire hatch process and Tucker (Female) is now 6 weeks old. She has all her adult feathers and I figured now would be the time to make the move from the garage to outdoors. She has her own pen and last night went okay, however my current ducks don't seem to want Tucker around. She is the product of at least two of them but the males are especially mean and I've had to separate them constantly. Their pens butt up to each other so they can see but cannot get to each other. I have two drake Pekins and two females and now the female duckling. How can I curb the aggressive behavior of the males. They don't seem to be fighting each other over the duckling although they do at times pick at each other over food. One had to be physically pulled off the duckling yesterday as he jumped on her and was biting her neck.