Against the odds-Slushie's and Chubby's babies <3. updates.

[TheDuckCrew]

i think we lost them all. i candled last night about 6 of the remaing 13 seemed to have a bacteria in the air cell. i moved them away from the remaining 7 just incase it could be spread or anything. i candled this morning, down to five. i just candled, and we're down to three. i was really really hoping for some babies, but i don't think i'm gonna end up with any. the dang weasel ate the eggs slushie had in the nest. we don't have any more.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Have you opened up any of these suspected bacterial-infected eggs? Did they smell? If they didn't smell and you didn't look, you might want to. While the bacteria could have spread, I don't know that it would have spread that widely and that fast. What did you see exactly? Are you sure it wasn't the ducklings piping into the air cell? Are you 100% positive?

 

[TheDuckCrew]

it wasn't the ducklings pipping. i haven't opened any, i'm afraid to. its like cloudly spots that seem to get larger and darker. they are at the top of the air cell, it doesn't seem to touch the area underneath it holding the duckling.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

OK, so it may have spread.

I understand your reservations about not wanting to open the eggs, but it can be a learning experience.

 

[TheDuckCrew]

i don't know if i could handle seeing a duckling in there, or if it was fine and i was wrong, i would've killed it.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Yes, that is true, but if you were going to toss it and a few other in similar condition anyway, it would be good to know. I have learned what to expect inside an egg, only by having opened ones I wasn't sure about. I try to only open the ones I am positive are dead first though. Yes, it is sad to see a developed fetus that has died, but often there is nothing you could have done to save it. Or if you opened one you were going to toss and it is alive, then you can save the others that you might have otherwise tossed.

It helps (me anyway) to realize that not all eggs that are incubated will hatch, even in the wild. Until it hatches, there are a lot of things that can go wrong and do go wrong sometimes. If you think you can be objective about it, I do think you can learn from it. If you don't think you can, then don't do it.

 

[TheDuckCrew]

is there any possibility at all that there could be a bacteria in there and they could still be alive? it seems to be only in the air cell, i'm just hoping and praying they hatch.

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I was considering this too. Yes, it is possible that something could be growing on the inside of the egg and that the duckling could still hatch, but that is a matter of timing and of how strong the immune system of the duckling is. So . . . if the hatch is close I would wait. Only remove the smelly ones. Also try to separate the bad ones from the good ones as much as possible. That way it won't spread easily.

Ideally, I would put the bad eggs in a separate incubator/hatcher. That way whatever it is won't spread during hatching.

It might help to have some vitamins/electrolytes ready for whoever does hatch.

 

[TheDuckCrew]

thank you so much. i only have one incubator, but its rather large so i can put them on different sides to reduce spreading. i really hope they hatch. they mean so much.

 

[TheDuckCrew]

i just candled. good news (i hope.) none smelled, and i took extra care to try to see veining or movement or something. the strongest light we have is actually pretty weak, so it was real hard. but i was able to see some veining! (or at least it looked like veining). the eggs still with clear air cells were moved far away from the others, just in case. i did see some veining in the ones with the cloudy growths though. it was so hard to see though, but i could see little pieces of spidery veins. oh lets hope and pray! i don't want to get my hopes up and end up with nothing. the blobs have been growing though. seems like we are getting closer to hatch date (hopefully they hatch)