Duckling born with beak on a slight angle (not appearing to be cross beak)

[NiteMareTender]

I had a duckling with an assisted hatch (30 plus hours of pip but no zip) who seems to have a slightly off kilter bill. I had one other duckling with an unobserved yolk sac who didn't make it, one with curled feet and toes and 3 normal ducklings. I'm wondering if this could be an incubator issue although I had 26 chicken eggs go into lockdown with 19 hatched so far and a few others pipping.

 

[NiteMareTender]

Pics of little one

 

[Miss Lydia]

That is one precious little duckling.
I don't do bators so I'll see if some I tag will weigh in.

@HollowOfWisps
@WVduckchick
@casportpony
@Yorkshire Coop

 

[WVduckchick]

My first thought with your multiple issues would be inconsistency in the incubator, mainly temperatures up and down, and/or humidity up and down. But having many hatch without issues, would more likely point back to the parents of the eggs. Anything from genetics to feed, etc could be an issue. In other words, it’s really hard to guess! Lol

I will say the duckling pictured doesn’t look too awfully bad, though I’m on my phone and the pics don’t look very clear to me. The one I had, you saw my thread, he is now 2 years old with a much, much worse deformity. (I did recently give him away, along with several other extra drakes, I had wayyyy too many boys!) Over the years, I’ve had 2 or 3 hatch with deformed bills and only the one survived and thrived. But looking around this site, you’ll find many deformities that can be overcome.

Ducklings bills are somewhat soft when they first hatch, so it’s possible that it will improve, or even get worse. So I would suggest that you monitor it and make sure the duckling can eat and drink without any problems and pray for the best! Looks like a beautiful little fella.

 

[NiteMareTender]

My first thought with your multiple issues would be inconsistency in the incubator, mainly temperatures up and down, and/or humidity up and down. But having many hatch without issues, would more likely point back to the parents of the eggs. Anything from genetics to feed, etc could be an issue. In other words, it’s really hard to guess! Lol

I will say the duckling pictured doesn’t look too awfully bad, though I’m on my phone and the pics don’t look very clear to me. The one I had, you saw my thread, he is now 2 years old with a much, much worse deformity. (I did recently give him away, along with several other extra drakes, I had wayyyy too many boys!) Over the years, I’ve had 2 or 3 hatch with deformed bills and only the one survived and thrived. But looking around this site, you’ll find many deformities that can be overcome.

Ducklings bills are somewhat soft when they first hatch, so it’s possible that it will improve, or even get worse. So I would suggest that you monitor it and make sure the duckling can eat and drink without any problems and pray for the best! Looks like a beautiful little fella.

Thanks so much! He/she is drinking and eating just fine so fingers crossed it remains able to thrive. This is my first time hatching out my own duck's eggs and my guess is the little one is from my Pekin hen and Pekin-Rouen cross drake. I had 2 what appear to be full Pekin ducklings born, this one, and 2 Khaki Campbell either Pekin or Pekin-Roeun crosses. (I have a KC hen, Pekin hen, Pekin drake, Pekin-Rouen drake plus 4 7 week old KC babies). The 2 KC mixes are both pretty identical and the one with curled toes was one of these. I think because it's from possibly 2 different sets of parents, that it must be something glitchy with the bator. All of the chicken chicks born (25) were fine but I believe I read that duck eggs are more sensitive. I appreciate the response!