Call Ducks Finally Hatched

[Ravynscroft]

Finally one hatched this morning! Have set dozens of eggs non stop since September, did get several fertile, but none would hatch, they would all die in the shell right before hatching. This hatch used zero water in the incubator, no spraying eggs, nothing. I'm thinking that the mallard hen lays a large egg, and the call drakes are teenie tiny, so the duckling developing in the egg is very small inside a large egg, and by what should be hatching time, there is just to much fluid still in the shell and the ducklings drown. Thinking i my even need a de-humidifier in the room to get these tiny call drake/big mallard hen hybrids to hatch.

Cute!

Do you always run your eggs in an upright turner?

 

[duckmeister]

Usually use upright turner. Have used incubator without the turner for tbese same eggs, same result, they died right before or right at what should have been hatch time.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Usually use upright turner. Have used incubator without the turner for tbese same eggs, same result, they died right before or right at what should have been hatch time.

Hmmm... I tried multiple tests last winter and using the turner by far had the worst hatch rates... hand turning, low humidity, and just misting about 4 or 5 days yielded the best results for me...

 

[Lacrystol]

Finally one hatched this morning! Have set dozens of eggs non stop since September, did get several fertile, but none would hatch, they would all die in the shell right before hatching. This hatch used zero water in the incubator, no spraying eggs, nothing. I'm thinking that the mallard hen lays a large egg, and the call drakes are teenie tiny, so the duckling developing in the egg is very small inside a large egg, and by what should be hatching time, there is just to much fluid still in the shell and the ducklings drown. Thinking i my even need a de-humidifier in the room to get these tiny call drake/big mallard hen hybrids to hatch.

AWWWW what a precious baby... No fluids but they are drowing???? How is that possible??

 

[Lacrystol]

Usually use upright turner. Have used incubator without the turner for tbese same eggs, same result, they died right before or right at what should have been hatch time.

How low is the humidity? so are they dying during lock down? or on day 26? Do you lay them down during lockdown? is this only happening during the winter months or summer too? is the turner still going up until hatching day? How's that temp, what is it at? do you have a fan or no fan?

 

[Lacrystol]

Let me understand these aren't call ducks? they are mixed with mallard? if that's the case, I would go with 28 days not 26. Maybe they are getting locked down to soon?

 

[duckmeister]

How low is the humidity?  so are they dying during lock down? or on day 26? Do you lay them down during lockdown? is this only happening during the winter months or summer too?  is the turner still going up until hatching day? How's that temp, what is it at?  do you have a fan or no fan?

It's worse in the winter months, the humity on the incubator says 20%, but don't know that it's accurate as it says the same summer and winter if no water is added. This one hatched on day 27. He hatched in the turner.

 

[duckmeister]

Here's the other duckling suppose to hatch today, I candled the egg, and didn't see anything happening, opened the shell and he was already dead, inside was very watery, not at all sticky, can't figure why they die before even trying to pip. Several in the past have been this way. He had a lot of yolk to still absorb. Sometimes I think this place I live just has bad hatching ju-ju. Have 12 more in the incubator 6 days along, hoping to somehow get a better hatch than just 1 or none.

 

[Ravynscroft]

It's worse in the winter months, the humity on the incubator says 20%, but don't know that it's accurate as it says the same summer and winter if no water is added. This one hatched on day 27. He hatched in the turner.

Get some more hygrometers and thermometers... calibrate them so you get accurate readings... sounds like they are off on your bator... btw, I never trust just a bator reading, always have extras in there to compare...

 

[Lacrystol]

Here's the other duckling suppose to hatch today, I candled the egg, and didn't see anything happening, opened the shell and he was already dead, inside was very watery, not at all sticky, can't figure why they die before even trying to pip. Several in the past have been this way. He had a lot of yolk to still absorb. Sometimes I think this place I live just has bad hatching ju-ju. Have 12 more in the incubator 6 days along, hoping to somehow get a better hatch than just 1 or none.

I would get another gage, looks like a humidity issue or your temp is to low..