Ducks not hatching ?

[ppimf]

I had a buddy just call me and ask what he did wrong I gave him 60 eggs and only 6 hatched , there were 3 unfertial eggs but all had grown full but didn't hatch out , he helped 5 out of 6 that is alive most had one peck but nothing else some nothing at all . What do you think was the cause if this?

 

[ppimf]

No one ever had this issue ? Lol please help me

 

[blucoondawg]

There are far too many variables in incubating for anyone to make a guess at what could have happened. Has your friend successfully incubated before?

 

[ppimf]

Yeah just didn't know if there was a normal cause for such bad hatch didn't know if temp would have much to do with it since 6 did hatch. Not real sure how much humidity has to do with hatching part?

 

[blucoondawg]

Well if the humidity is to high during the initial incubation stages it will cause the air cell to not develop properly and the chicks can drown when they pip. But that's chicks not ducks though I'd assume it's the same principal

 

[ppimf]

K how much humidity do you use . I believe ducks they say more then chickens

 

[blucoondawg]

I couldn't tell you i never did ducks but I'm sure it could be looked up easy enough. I know I successfully hatch chicks with far less humidity than is recommended and I believe to much is far worse than a little low

 

[ppimf]

Humidity in lockdown? Or you just think during incubation less is better . I thought during lockdown u wanted as high as u can 80% or so let me know what u try for thanks again

 

[blucoondawg]

During incubation I use low humidity with chicks, I dry hatch, in my house I can run 20 to 40% easily with a full load of eggs in the incubator without adding water, some recommend 50 or 55% but I have noticed even with my lower humidities sometimes the air cell isn't as big as I expect, with the 50 and higher I think I would have drowned chicks for sure. With ducks it may differ I'm not sure. During lockdown I filled my reservoirs with water and got around 70 then as chicks hatched and exposed their wet fuzz to the incubator's air the humidity skyrocketed to the point that the windows were fogged with moisture and I could hardly see inside, high humidity during the hatch is fine as by that stage the air cell is done shrinking and the humidity's only purpose is to keep the shell membrane damp enough to not shrinkwrap the chicks or dry and toughen up to the point that the chick cannot zip it open. My next hatch I am only going to fill half of the reservoirs and try to prevent the fogging of the windows, the humidity doesn't need to be 80 or 90% even for the hatch but I don't believe it hurts anything either. Some even recommend dropping the temp a degree or so during hatch but I don't because the temp control is so touchy on these small incubators I don't want to lower more than I mean to.