Duckling died

[Finchmum42]

Work up this morning to this morning at 7am duckling was alive, was alive at 1.30pm. Just got home at 4pm and she died. How could this be prevented? I'm watching incubator for the local high school but have no experience. Another egg has a crack. Do I spray them with water? Use tweezers to help peel shell? Mixed ideas online and my kids thought they have a new duckling tonight

 

[NatJ]

Work up this morning to this morning at 7am duckling was alive, was alive at 1.30pm. Just got home at 4pm and she died. How could this be prevented?

Sometimes baby birds just do die when they are trying to hatch. Most of the time, there is not much you can do to prevent it.

I'm watching incubator for the local high school but have no experience. Another egg has a crack. Do I spray them with water? Use tweezers to help peel shell? Mixed ideas online and my kids thought they have a new duckling tonight

You should make sure there is plenty of humdity in the incubator (it probably has a spot to put water: make sure that spot is full of water.)

Other than that, leaving them alone is usually the best thing to do.

Trying to help can actually kill the duckling, if you do it at the wrong time. They often make a hole in the egg when they still have a big chunk of egg yolk still attached to their belly. If you take them out of the shell then, they typically die. But if you leave them alone, they sit there slowly absorbing the rest of their yolk, and then they hatch after that (it may be 24 hours or more from the first hole to the actual hatching.)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/
This article has lots of good advice, if you think you might need to help a duckling hatch. It talks about when to help and when to not help, and also tells how to help if that is needed.

 

[Finchmum42]

Sometimes baby birds just do die when they are trying to hatch. Most of the time, there is not much you can do to prevent it.


You should make sure there is plenty of humdity in the incubator (it probably has a spot to put water: make sure that spot is full of water.)

Other than that, leaving them alone is usually the best thing to do.

Trying to help can actually kill the duckling, if you do it at the wrong time. They often make a hole in the egg when they still have a big chunk of egg yolk still attached to their belly. If you take them out of the shell then, they typically die. But if you leave them alone, they sit there slowly absorbing the rest of their yolk, and then they hatch after that (it may be 24 hours or more from the first hole to the actual hatching.)

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/
This article has lots of good advice, if you think you might need to help a duckling hatch. It talks about when to help and when to not help, and also tells how to help if that is needed.

Thankyou! Humidity is only 50% so I wondering if it's not high enough too! I'll keep my fingers crossed. Thanks again.

 

[NatJ]

Thankyou! Humidity is only 50% so I wondering if it's not high enough too! I'll keep my fingers crossed. Thanks again.

If you can raise the humidity a bit more, that might help. If you already filled all the areas that are supposed to have water, you might try adding a wet sponge or wet washcloth (those give more area for water to evaporate, to raise the humidity, but do not make a puddle that can make ducklings wet or let them drown.)

 

[Finchmum42]

If you can raise the humidity a bit more, that might help. If you already filled all the areas that are supposed to have water, you might try adding a wet sponge or wet washcloth (those give more area for water to evaporate, to raise the humidity, but do not make a puddle that can make ducklings wet or let them drown.)

 

[Finchmum42]

One hatched today! I can hear chirping in another egg, not sure which one but no crack in egg.