Frustrated With Muscovy Eggs: What Am I Doing Wrong?

[Soon2BChixMom]

This one: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ned-wrong-in-egg.1243940/page-6#post-19967305

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

As well as this one that just popped up: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/none-of-my-muscovy-ducklings-hatched.1244309/

 

[jofanx]

Another thought is I've seen the muscovy hens standing when eggs hatch perhaps to allow more air flow. Just a few thought, I have read muscovy are hard to artificially incubate.

Your observation gave me an amazing idea I'm testing out on the third clutch that started to externally pip. I took two eggs that externally pipped, enlarged the safety holes, used coconut oil on the membrane to keep it pliable (and the vessels visible) and then kept them covered inside plastic bags with pricked holes for air (so the humidity doesn't get messed with too much). HOWEVER, one of them I'm cooling for about 10 minutes every hour. The other I just kept in the incubator. The amazing thing about the one that's getting cooled is that it recedes the blood vessels DURING the cooling period (very quickly too). I'm not sure why that is or if this one is just an anomaly.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Your observation gave me an amazing idea I'm testing out on the third clutch that started to externally pip. I took two eggs that externally pipped, enlarged the safety holes, used coconut oil on the membrane to keep it pliable (and the vessels visible) and then kept them covered inside plastic bags with pricked holes for air (so the humidity doesn't get messed with too much). HOWEVER, one of them I'm cooling for about 10 minutes every hour. The other I just kept in the incubator. The amazing thing about the one that's getting cooled is that it recedes the blood vessels DURING the cooling period (very quickly too). I'm not sure why that is or if this one is just an anomaly.

Oh that's exciting. I love experiments. I'm hoping for good results.

 

[jofanx]

Oh that's exciting. I love experiments. I'm hoping for good results.

Me too. One of the ones from the second hatch passed a few hours after it came out. I was so upset, like YOU ALREADY GOT OUT WHY. I wouldn't get too excited. Both times after I put it back into the incubator and the temp got back up for it, the vessels filled with blood again by the time I took it out for the next round of cooling. Not as much as before, clearly receded quite a bit in comparison the the one that wasn't cooled at all but wasn't as receded as it was when I first put it back. Then receded a lot more again during the second cooling before I put it back. Not sure what it's gonna look like the next time. I'm pretty sure it causes the blood to be pulled towards whatever placental structure it has to conserve heat, but not sure if it helps the actual absorption.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That is strange it died. Must have been something wrong with it. The muscovy hen makes it look so easy.

 

[jofanx]

The one that I cooled came out this morning. The other one is still cooking in its shell but it's alive and peeping. Took a look at it and most of the vessels have receded and will probably just need another half day or so. Can't say a sample size of 1 means anything but a live duckling is great.

It was so frustrating that one died. It had been walking around and everything.

I'm not sure if the rain all this week caused humidity issues (it's like 75% - 80% humidity in my house for this whole week) or something because one egg that was bruised all over the pointed end had fluid in it, I candled and there was no movement at all, I was sure it had died. I'm one of those people who are morbidly curious so I began to open it up at the bruised end and this big gush of yellow... water...? came out. I took a look inside and it looks like the duckling was malpositioned, it's bill is near the yolk sac (which was unabsorbed.) The membrane had peeled away from the shell where it pipped on the small end (but never made it through the shell), and there was more yellow water (what the heck is it?) All of a sudden it twitched. I immediately took some paper towel and soaked up the rest of the water in there. As it was breathing, water kept coming out of its nostril so I then took one of those nasal bulbs (I have kids and stored it away) and sucked as much of the water out of its nose as I could. I wrapped it in a plastic bag, taped it shut, and poked a few holes. I was sure it was gonna still die since who knows how long it's been breathing in the water even after it pipped through the membrane but it's actually starting to peep now!

I'm wondering if I'll have to assist it because its head at the small end of the egg but I'm surprised it made it this far.

I'm worried about the ones under the broody now because of this. It's literally been nonstop rain for the last week and will continue into Saturday...

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have had ducklings all drown in the eggs because the nests got covered in water.

Pretty amazing how you did all that stuff with the egg. Hard to say how it will turn out. Hopefully well.