➡I accidentally bought Balut eggs: 2 live ducks! Now a Chat Thread!

[Tesumph]

So what is the verdict?

Probably just an underdeveloped weak chick, possibly a minor infection started at umbilical.

My mind is at ease. No one else is allowed to die though.

 

[BantyChooks]

For what it's worth, all the DIS chicks I've eggtopsied had those dark veins. I think it's just the blood settling in there.

 

[littleprairieheartsfarm]

Probably just an underdeveloped weak chick, possibly a minor infection started at umbilical.

My mind is at ease. No one else is allowed to die though.

Agreed on both.

 

[Tesumph]

For what it's worth, all the DIS chicks I've eggtopsied had those dark veins. I think it's just the blood settling in there.

You’re probably right.
I guess I just didn’t like the look of the scab, looked very raw and a little angry around the edges.

 

[Conan]

That, and their non-stop chattering is why we won't get ducks again. We were told Cayugas were quiet!

My Cayugas are SOOOOO loud!!!! Like, insanely loud. My Magpie hen is very quiet, my Welsh Harlequin hen is very quiet, my Rouen is an in betweener and the Cayugas SCREAMERS. I will say that they are amazing layers though and I love duck eggs too much to ever go without them again

 

[BantyChooks]

You’re probably right.
I guess I just didn’t like the look of the scab, looked very raw and a little angry around the edges.

That's definitely not normal.

 

[Tesumph]

On a brighter note, the other 8 are happy as clams and have officially chosen a sleeping corner.

I put their fluffy bear up next to them but they don’t really care. They seem to be just fine with this temperature.

 

[casportpony]

Alright. Bear with me, this was spur of the moment and I have limited experience with bird anatomy. Definitely not a proper necropsy.
I did the best I could with the fading light!

Spoiler: Chick necropsy

Ginger said he found her face down exactly where I had left her this afternoon. Her legs were stretched out behind her.

She was so tiny I couldn’t get down to her lungs. I could’ve ripped everything out, I just didn’t feel like it. I highly doubt I would have found telltale signs of respiratory disease on a day old chick anyway.

Cut from throat to umbilical. Accidentally cut into the abdomen a little, ignore that. The crop (left of trachea and windpipe) was totally empty, no food or shavings.
View attachment 1466423

Note the dark veins coming from the umbilical. Normal or yolk infection?
View attachment 1466424

Cut up from the accidental slice to the left of her breastbone. Her bones were so soft, I could just bend them back..
Her liver looks fine to me. Her intestine is pulled out a little, and I cannot figure out what the greeny tinted organ is to the right of her intestines.
View attachment 1466425

Freed everything out of the membrane. Heart had no clots or anything, looks okay. Maybe a little pale?
Spleen and liver below heart are fine, I think. Liver didn’t look yellow.
Intestines looked totally normal, except for that white membrane/string toward the top. I’m not sure what that is.
Still don’t know what the greenish organ is to the right of intestines. It was very firm, not sac-like at all, I didn’t think to cut it open.
View attachment 1466427

Better view of white string membrane. Is that the empty stomach or some sort of intestinal/Cecil pouch? I couldn’t find any stomach, not sure what to look for.
Greenish large firm organ still to the right of intestines. Gizzard? I don’t even know. Looked through tons of necropsy photos and gizzard is the closest looking thing but doesn’t sound right at all?
View attachment 1466428

So yea. Don’t laugh at my stupid questions. I’ve researched a decent amount but can’t really find chick necropsy guides/photos (did find one on byc that @casportpony did a while back).

So sorry for your loss.
What did the actual yolk look like?

 

[Tesumph]

So sorry for your loss.
What did the actual yolk look like?

I never actually cut it open, I didn’t want to make a mess. I assumed it would be the same color inside as it was outside.

That's definitely not normal.

Yep. Doesn’t quite show on any of the pictures.

 

[littleprairieheartsfarm]

My Cayugas are SOOOOO loud!!!! Like, insanely loud. My Magpie hen is very quiet, my Welsh Harlequin hen is very quiet, my Rouen is an in betweener and the Cayugas SCREAMERS. I will say that they are amazing layers though and I love duck eggs too much to ever go without them again

Our Cayugas had started to get quiet but the past two days they have started their scream fest again.