Candling day 25 (lockdown) with unexpected results - HELP!

[designbyaleks]

We set 30 eggs, 6 of our own khakis, and 24 purchased from a breeder to expand our flock and get some new types of duck breeds! I fully realize it was an early start, before hatching season is in full swing, but compared to past experiences, I'm having a terrible go of it this time! Only 12 eggs left from the 30, where of the lot, 20 were viable, and the rest quitters along the way.

Today (lockdown) I candled one more time and of the 12 that are left, a number of them have a huge gap in the pointy end as well as the air sac... wondered if it may be related to using an upright, automated turning incubator? I just hatched out 60 quail successfully, and beyond some minor humidity fluctuations, I feel like the settings have been consistent. My past duck incubations have had a 80%+ success rate in a horizontal (hand-rotated) incubator so I feel like I'm not a total newb, but this has me in tears!

Can anyone tell me what's going on here? Are these quitters? If so, is it evident what may have happened to them? I took a picture of a two different eggs for reference, first candled from the pointy side and then showing the air sac.

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

Oh my, they all look to be quitters. I think you had a humidity problem. Where do you live?

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

Maybe not the last one.

 

[KingD]

We set 30 eggs, 6 of our own khakis, and 24 purchased from a breeder to expand our flock and get some new types of duck breeds! I fully realize it was an early start, before hatching season is in full swing, but compared to past experiences, I'm having a terrible go of it this time! Only 12 eggs left from the 30, where of the lot, 20 were viable, and the rest quitters along the way.

Today (lockdown) I candled one more time and of the 12 that are left, a number of them have a huge gap in the pointy end as well as the air sac... wondered if it may be related to using an upright, automated turning incubator? I just hatched out 60 quail successfully, and beyond some minor humidity fluctuations, I feel like the settings have been consistent. My past duck incubations have had a 80%+ success rate in a horizontal (hand-rotated) incubator so I feel like I'm not a total newb, but this has me in tears!

Can anyone tell me what's going on here? Are these quitters? If so, is it evident what may have happened to them? I took a picture of a two different eggs for reference, first candled from the pointy side and then showing the air sac.

All look dead to me.
That's real sad!
As magnolia ducks said, it must be a humidity problem.

 

[cmobley]

Ducks are a little different to incubate. I learned alot with mine they did alot better with a cool down period and some sporadic opening and misting and letting the humidity settle on its on. A mama duck will set then go eat swim and whatever and come back wet. I also kept my Temps on the higher side of 98 lower side of 99. I started simulating that and my duck hatch rate went from 25% to 90%

 

[designbyaleks]

I'm in Ottawa/Canada - House humidity runs low in the winter, but the incubator with a secondary thermometer and hydrometer are reading consistently at 45/50 for the first 25 days. I have it set to 75 right now (lockdown) as of yesterday. Am I running the humidity too high?

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

I've had exactly the opposite experience, I live in a humid climate and have gotten 100% hatch with a dry hatch. If I add water, it goes down to 60%. I guess you just have to experiment with you conditions. But those eggs look too high humidity.

 

[designbyaleks]

Ducks are a little different to incubate. I learned alot with mine they did alot better with a cool down period and some sporadic opening and misting and letting the humidity settle on its on. A mama duck will set then go eat swim and whatever and come back wet. I also kept my Temps on the higher side of 98 lower side of 99. I started simulating that and my duck hatch rate went from 25% to 90%

We open the incubator daily, sometimes twice, and mist as well. I wonder if my temps have been too low at the outset? I'm at 97-98 now during lockdown.

 

[cmobley]

I'm in Ottawa/Canada - House humidity runs low in the winter, but the incubator with a secondary thermometer and hydrometer are reading consistently at 45/50 for the first 25 days. I have it set to 75 right now (lockdown) as of yesterday. Am I running the humidity too high?

Did you test the secondary thermometer/hygrometer.

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

I'm in Ottawa/Canada - House humidity runs low in the winter, but the incubator with a secondary thermometer and hydrometer are reading consistently at 45/50 for the first 25 days. I have it set to 75 right now (lockdown) as of yesterday. Am I running the humidity too high?

That should have been fine. I don't know what happened then.