The Quack Shack

[Miss Lydia]

Yes, what you're saying describes well what we now believe to be the core of the problem. We were just first time duck parents and had no idea what kind of realistic range of parameters to expect / provide, so we went by the book and lost at least 8 ducklings because of it.

Just now we've decided to open one of the 8 nothing-going-on eggs and, as we suspected, found a fully developed duckling inside a very dry membrane - despite having started high humidity in the incubator a day before the instructions said so, ie. Day 25 instead of Day 26. We should have done it even earlier.

Basically we had a Jack Sparrow episode ("the rules are... more like guidelines"). It was not a happy moment to see the developed but dead ducklings. But we can do better in the next round. We're ready for a new batch starting tomorrow.

The two rascals that did make it are growing and crapping heroically. Yes I did read everywhere that ducklings are messy but duuuude. We are handling it though. So far we've used puppy pads, tomorrow when the wind is supposed to ease we're planning a sports day in nature (nice clover area, 4 x 4 x 1 ft playing pen, 3/4 covered), we'll check how their legs have improved and then we'll probably switch them to straw. We've just brought in one m3 of nice barley straw.

How do you handle humidity in the final stage (before hatching) to ensure the shells will be easy enough to break through and the membrane does not dry out? At what day do you usually start increasing humidity to cover the widest range of situations, and to what degree?

I'm so sorry none of the other eggs hatched.

 

[Supercow]

I'm sorry it went so badly, but I'm glad you're giving it another shot! My first duck egg hatching experience was also a complete disaster, worse than yours believe it or not. But I've learned.

First it was a shock, then a disappointment, then a sadness, now it's a challenge to do better.

 

[Supercow]

BYC is trying to cheer me up and gave me a one-year anniversary badge Time flies!

 

[Miss Lydia]

BYC is trying to cheer me up and gave me a one-year anniversary badge Time flies!

Congrats!! now we need more pictures of the 2 little ones

 

[Supercow]

Congrats!! now we need more pictures of the 2 little ones

Here are some from today's "hello world" experiment, they are so small it's hard to even see them.

The other ducks came quickly to explore the strange structure and there was some peeping and quacking back and forth. When the flock moved away the little ones tried to follow. So - first contact went well.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Such a big world around such tiny ones!
Are their legs good now?

 

[Supercow]

Such a big world around such tiny ones!
Are their legs good now?

We removed the band-aids when moving the ducklings to their exploration pen. First impressions are good but we'll have another careful look in the evening and re-apply if needed.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hopefully they are good now. I bet they enjoy being outside and having the big ducks come and visit.

 

[Jenbirdee]

i just candled Trudy’s 4 goose eggs and i saw movement in 3 of them!! the other one ( the youngest) looks almost the same but i didn’t watch long enough for moving i was so nervous the geese were coming back! but i did see what looks like veins and feathers and an air space looks good hoping 4 little miracles come out to play next week!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Yes, what you're saying describes well what we now believe to be the core of the problem. We were just first time duck parents and had no idea what kind of realistic range of parameters to expect / provide, so we went by the book and lost at least 8 ducklings because of it.

Just now we've decided to open one of the 8 nothing-going-on eggs and, as we suspected, found a fully developed duckling inside a very dry membrane - despite having started high humidity in the incubator a day before the instructions said so, ie. Day 25 instead of Day 26. We should have done it even earlier.

That is devastating! - You say you have environment sensors everywhere? Do they record the relative humidity? If your climate is very dry with a relative humidity often below 40% you must indeed take action to keep the humidity up in the incubator.
I never ran into this issue, here the humidity rarely drops below 50% (75% right now), so i have more of the opposite problem that the air-bubble stays too small and they have issues with internal pipping.
Candle the eggs more often, that's all i have as an advice at the moment.

Basically we had a Jack Sparrow episode ("the rules are... more like guidelines"). It was not a happy moment to see the developed but dead ducklings. But we can do better in the next round. We're ready for a new batch starting tomorrow.

That's the spirit! - Or is it the beginning of an addiction?

The two rascals that did make it are growing and crapping heroically. Yes I did read everywhere that ducklings are messy but duuuude. We are handling it though. So far we've used puppy pads, tomorrow when the wind is supposed to ease we're planning a sports day in nature (nice clover area, 4 x 4 x 1 ft playing pen, 3/4 covered), we'll check how their legs have improved and then we'll probably switch them to straw. We've just brought in one m3 of nice barley straw.

You ain't seen nothing yet!
Wait, when the flies realize that there's duck-shit everywhere!

How do you handle humidity in the final stage (before hatching) to ensure the shells will be easy enough to break through and the membrane does not dry out? At what day do you usually start increasing humidity to cover the widest range of situations, and to what degree?

As said above: I don't. But i candle every day and i make a safety hole into the air-bubble, sometimes even before they pip internally.
And last year's duxlings were all lazy-bones: I think all but Harry and Sunny needed some level of assistance and Walgreens didn't want to come out at all.