Good Morning.
For the second year in a row, I have began duck hatching season with an inordinate number of deaths. Ducklings started pipping yesterday afternoon, so I expected to find a tray full of babies this morning. Instead I found 12 eggs with open pip holes, but 10 dead ducklings. I pulled the two who were still alive, but they are very weak. Last year was the first season for most of my mothers, so I thought the problem might have been egg size...that the ducklings were so large comparative to the eggs that they couldn't maneuver to finish hatching. That isn't the case this year.
I've pulled all the eggs out of the hatching tray and placed them in a tote under a heat lamp. As soon as I see pipping, I'll intervene, but that doesn't explain the problem. These are all Black and Blue Swedish ducks. They are 100% free range with no commercial supplements. I dropped the humidity to 40% for the last 3 days of the hatch, and there is no fluid around the pip hole, so they aren't drowning. All the holes are on the large end of the egg, and the heads are appropriately tucked under the right wing, so it isn't misalignment. Has anyone else experienced this or have insight has to why they're struggling past the initial breakthrough?
Respectfully,
Walnut Hollow Farms
For the second year in a row, I have began duck hatching season with an inordinate number of deaths. Ducklings started pipping yesterday afternoon, so I expected to find a tray full of babies this morning. Instead I found 12 eggs with open pip holes, but 10 dead ducklings. I pulled the two who were still alive, but they are very weak. Last year was the first season for most of my mothers, so I thought the problem might have been egg size...that the ducklings were so large comparative to the eggs that they couldn't maneuver to finish hatching. That isn't the case this year.
I've pulled all the eggs out of the hatching tray and placed them in a tote under a heat lamp. As soon as I see pipping, I'll intervene, but that doesn't explain the problem. These are all Black and Blue Swedish ducks. They are 100% free range with no commercial supplements. I dropped the humidity to 40% for the last 3 days of the hatch, and there is no fluid around the pip hole, so they aren't drowning. All the holes are on the large end of the egg, and the heads are appropriately tucked under the right wing, so it isn't misalignment. Has anyone else experienced this or have insight has to why they're struggling past the initial breakthrough?
Respectfully,
Walnut Hollow Farms
