Incubation progress of Muscovy eggs

[Lacrystol]

Thanks I've been worried about this one out of the 24 eggs this is the only surviver! I just want it to hatch without a problem.

24 EGGS?? what the heck happened to the rest????

 

[MuscovyLover]

I second guessed myself about this too but there was no way my days were off. I only set the one lot of eggs and they were all set on the same date (24th April). I want to check the accuracy of my bator and research possible causes of such long delays before I even think about trying again :-(
Sadly, I panicked after reading a few different things yesterday and tried to help by mid afternoon. It was upside down like the other egg and its head was tucked up in the middle of the egg, under its unabsorbed yolk sac.
As soon as it's little face was free it stopped moving.
I should have listened to my gut instinct and let it happen naturally :-(
I will take it out of the shell later today and add some pics. I noticed a few things that didn't see right.

 

[casportpony]

I second guessed myself about this too but there was no way my days were off. I only set the one lot of eggs and they were all set on the same date (24th April). I want to check the accuracy of my bator and research possible causes of such long delays before I even think about trying again :-(
Sadly, I panicked after reading a few different things yesterday and tried to help by mid afternoon. It was upside down like the other egg and its head was tucked up in the middle of the egg, under its unabsorbed yolk sac.
As soon as it's little face was free it stopped moving.
I should have listened to my gut instinct and let it happen naturally :-(
I will take it out of the shell later today and add some pics. I noticed a few things that didn't see right.

So sorry, I know you tried.

-Kathy

 

[Lacrystol]

I second guessed myself about this too but there was no way my days were off. I only set the one lot of eggs and they were all set on the same date (24th April). I want to check the accuracy of my bator and research possible causes of such long delays before I even think about trying again :-(
Sadly, I panicked after reading a few different things yesterday and tried to help by mid afternoon. It was upside down like the other egg and its head was tucked up in the middle of the egg, under its unabsorbed yolk sac.
As soon as it's little face was free it stopped moving.
I should have listened to my gut instinct and let it happen naturally :-(
I will take it out of the shell later today and add some pics. I noticed a few things that didn't see right.

PLEASE DONT FEEL BAD, YOU MADE THE CORRECT CHOICE, EVEN THOUGH THE OUTCOME WASN'T WHAT YOU HOPED, IT MAY NOT HAVE ENDED UP AS POSITIVE ONE EITHER WAY..

BEING THAT LATE, CHANCES OF SURVIVAL WAS PRACTICALLY SLIM TO NOTHING.. SO YOU DID YOUR BEST...

 

[subhanalah]

@MuscovyLover
this has taught you invaluable lessons. I know ow now after reading about your incubation why your hatch was so delayed. The temperature was simply too low, it is possible to have good outcomes at lower temperatures, but you have to manage the incubation differently than the generally accepted way, due to the great increase in time it takes for development.
We never know when or when not to intervene, all we can do is hope we are doing the right thing. I just left my first hatch to do its thing and I lost three because of it. I probably could have saved them had I intervened, but I was afraid.
There is such a fine line between when to help and when not to...This is truly a novel experience for most of us who have hatched before. Without the time line of the typical incubation period, it's hard to know when they are really "due". You did the best you could and you had good intentions, that's what truly matters.

 

[MuscovyLover]

@subhanalah, @casportpony and @Lacrystol thankyou for all of your support and advice.
It has been absolutely invaluable and I will be better prepared next time. My original flock will be all back together today. The friend who took my overly agressive drake and one of the three original sisters is having trouble with him attacking her family so she is returning him this morning and will take the drake and hen I had brought to replace them. Ahh this is tough. If he doesn't behave with me I am going to have to send him off with hubby to be culled. I raised these four from bubbas so it's hard.

This second egg had her yolk sac at the air sac end like the other one and as soon as I saw it I noticed the main vein running across it was a very dirty looking brown.
I will add pics in a few hours once I've opened the rest of her shell up.

As for the temp being too low during incubation, I've aaked hubby to get me an accurate thermometer from work today so I can check that out. We did get one but it wouldn't read above 25ºc. If he can't find one I'll have a look on eBay.
If it's all operating correctly, is 37.5ºc the right temp for a dry incubation in a fan forced bator?

 

[MuscovyLover]

And again, I can't thankyou all enough. Truly heart warming to have support as I'm learning, and reassurance when I am beating myself up for being a "killer" xoxo

 

[casportpony]

I wish you were in the States, I'd mail you some more eggs to try with.

-Kathy

 

[subhanalah]

As for the temp being too low during incubation, I've aaked hubby to get me an accurate thermometer from work today so I can check that out. We did get one but it wouldn't read above 25ºc. If he can't find one I'll have a look on eBay.
If it's all operating correctly, is 37.5ºc the right temp for a dry incubation in a fan forced bator?

oh my gosh, it's a still air!? I'm so sorry I didn't ask this!
According to the converter, you want 38.611 degrees Celsius for your model of incubator.

 

[MuscovyLover]

oh my gosh, it's a still air!? I'm so sorry I didn't ask this!
According to the converter, you want 38.611 degrees Celsius for your model of incubator.

It has a fan on the motor that blows air into the bator.
I thought that was the opposite of a still air bator, aka fan forced?