All eggs that had externally pipped died...

[Kimmyh51]

This is referring to duck eggs.

I had to remove a large number of eggs from under the mums and relocate them. I had about 15 which were almost ready to hatch, a couple which had already pipped internally and another 15 or so which were about 2 weeks along.

I had to remove them from the duck who was sitting on them as we had to relocate in a short time frame (long story). So I had no option but to remove the eggs.

I put them in an egg try in the incubator in the car while I was catching the ducks and packing stuff. I know that when hatchingnthey shouldn’t be upright but it was the only way to transport them without them smacking into each other as my incubator doesn’t have trays for the eggs,
As soon as I got them to their destination, I candled them all again and put them in the incubator on their sides with their fat end at the highest point. This was late afternoon.

I left them that way, and turned the eggs that were about 2 weeks in the next day. By the following afternoon 6 had externally pipped.
I missed them with colloidal silver and went out. I came back a few hours later and found all pipped eggs dead in shell. They had not zipped much, but some had started to move from the initial pip, indicating they were able to turn in the shell (plus to me it would seem weird that suddenly 6 eggs all have ducklings that can’t turn to unzip)

The incubator was still at the correct temperature. Of the eggs ready to hatch but unpipped roughly half appear to have died the other half are still moving and chipping at the shell.
Of the eggs 2 weeks in, most seem to still be ok.

All of these eggs were naturally incubated under ducks until a day ago.

Can anyone suggest any reasons for the demise of the pipped eggs?

I have hatched many eggs in this incubator with the mst recent being only a few days ago. And I have never ever had this happen before. Usually I get close to 100% hatch whether it’s eggs incubated in the bator through the full 28 days or eggs that had to be taken out of a natural nest for some reason...l

I had the pipping eggs at the opposite end from the lamp which heats the incubator, in an attempt to lower the temperature slightly for hatch and keep it up for the eggs still two weeks out. I had a look at 3 of the dead hatchlings, and couldn’t see anything wrong. They did not appear to be shrink wrapped, the inner membrane was soft and pliable. Couldn’t see anything in their position or the membrane to explain why they all died.

I wonder if the temperature for some reason got too high as I had turned it up a degree (I had it at 36 deg celcuis, but the temp controller on that incubator seems to report 1 deg lower than actual so basically 37deg. However the eggs were at the far end so would have been a little cooler than that. Also the temp probe had slipped from its usual position and gone up the side of the incubator a little so it would have reported the temp and controlled it as if it were a little higher than it would have been at egg level. However the settings and the probe position have happened before and not affected any hatching ducklings.

Could it have been the eggs being bumped by being transported? (If so, how come they all still had enough life in them to externally pip well AFTER being moved? They would have cracked the shell at least 12 hours after they were moved and placed in the incubator on their sides.
Right before I left to go out, I got a spray bottle of colloidal silver and gave them a good spray with it, to give all the eggs a light coating of moisture. My incubator doesn’t have a water container or humidity controller. However again, have hatched many ducklings with close to 100% hatch by doing this or just sprinkling water over the eggs each day...

Anyway I am baffled as to what killed 6 embryos which had pipped the shell and seemed to be doing well, plus a number of eggs which were internally pipped or about internally pip. Have found only 2 internal pip eggs which are still alive. But all the 2 weekers seem to be fine.

My suspicions are that they got too hot, or too much humidity, or the move, or maybe too much crowding in the incubator? Or maybe even putting them upright while transporting? (Had no other way to get them from there to here without almost certainly cracking some or most)

is there anything I can check to get some more clues?

 

[britesidefarm]

My guess is that the humidity drop from being under the broody’s to the incubator was what killed them. Spraying the eggs directly is something I don’t like to do as it can affect oxygen levels carries into the shell and can basically suffocate the embryo. I suggest getting either an incubator with a water container or putting in a bowl or wet paper towel with something that can tell you what the humidity is at.

 

[cmfarm]

I don't think the car ride would effect them, they do get move around from the hen moving normally. And I don't think them being upright for a short period would hurt them (I set duck eggs upright when incubating). Maybe the colloidal silver?