Duckling hatching?

[Happy Hill Farmstead]

I am very confused by this egg/duckling. The duckling is trying to hatch, but there’s lots of yuck coming out too, is it safe to leave it in with the others while hatching? They are also hatching 3 days early, my incubator is fluctuating temp and humidity terribly.

 

[Jener8or]

I'm sorry, I've never seen this before (but I've never hatched ducklings.)

How is it progressing?

 

[HeritageFan]

I’m going to chime in - not intending to steal the thread for sure -
But I had one duck egg in the same condition that I assisted this morning.
He pushed out on his own after I opened up a bit of the “cap”

His egg had drawn down much more than any of the others in the same ‘bators (I have an incubator, w turners, and a second for lockdown)

Conditions were the same for all eggs, candled and moved into prepared bators at the same time.

This batch of eggs (the duck eggs) were a little more dirty than usual, and all got the same gentle peroxide “clean” prior to initial set.

No cracks, no chips, no scrubbing. Just a gentle wipe w a cotton ball on any dirty areas.

His egg did look “bruised”/ dark, which was why I decided to intervene-

My lil dude had a bit of brownish liquid in the egg (looks like yours), and, while he is peeping and did push out on his own.... he’s not doing well.

Idk what went wrong, or if there is anything I can do to help him at this point.

Hopefully someone w more hatching knowledge will chime in
@Eggcessive
@Miss Lydia
@NewDuckMama23

 

[Eggcessive]

Sorry that I can’t help much with ducks or hatching. Hopefully @Miss Lydia will chime in.

 

[HeritageFan]

@New duck mommy 2021

Any thoughts?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

The goop is because your humidity is way to high causing the duckling to be ready to hatch, but liquids inside not fully absorbed.

 

[HeritageFan]

The goop is because your humidity is way to high causing the duckling to be ready to hatch, but liquids inside not fully absorbed.

My humidity this time was actually very low.
~35 ish in the main ‘bator.

Air cells seemed to be progressing well enough, so I didn’t boost humidity. Except for this one that shrank ~30% more than any other.

About 60-70 in the lockdown bator, depending on what else was hatching
Temps were stable at 99.5-100F in both. Stable before moving any eggs.

I lost my humidikit (it died and ive not replaced it - so working with other methods to keep humidity stable)

@Happy Hill Farmstead
What were your temps/ humidity?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

My humidity this time was actually very low.
~35 ish in the main ‘bator.

Air cells seemed to be progressing well enough, so I didn’t boost humidity. Except for this one that shrank ~30% more than any other.

About 60-70 in the lockdown bator, depending on what else was hatching
Temps were stable at 99.5-100F in both. Stable before moving any eggs.

I lost my humidikit (it died and ive not replaced it - so working with other methods to keep humidity stable)

@Happy Hill Farmstead
What were your temps/ humidity?

Did you have a calibrated hygrometer in your incubator or were you using the incubator to gauge humidity? Also when did you lockdown? Going from 30% to 70% is a very big humidity jump and if it was like that for several days prior to hatching that can cause fluid build up in the egg. I hatch every year for many years and goo like that in the egg is from excess humidity.

 

[HeritageFan]

I do have a salt calibrated hygrometer as well as a backup thermometer in both ‘bators.
I moved eggs once internally pipped.

I’ve had some very poor hatch rates this year (last year was great, this year.... not so much.
I’ve been trying different methods to get my % back up bc what worked last year, isn’t working this year :/ )

 

[Happy Hill Farmstead]

The little guy passed away. From what I could see it hadn't absorbed its yolk much at all. My incubator's humidity and temp kept fluctuating much more than it should and was much hotter in the back row which is where all of the early hatchers were located. I now have 3 healthy ducklings hatched and 3 pipped. I have been in contact with the incubator manufacturer and they are helping me troubleshoot. The incubator with the trouble is the matticoopx not the kebonnix one pictured, I never have any trouble wit the kebonnix.