Dying Babies

[hollymh]

I have a bunch of shipped duck eggs that are due to hatch in 3 days, well my last batch was due 7 days ago and I had several eggs pip the air-cell, but never pip the egg??? Why in the world would that happen, and does anyone know how long they can be in the air-cell without pipping the egg?! I have Cayugas that are pipping the air-cell, but it hasn't pipped the egg and it has been over 12-20hrs???

 

[walkswithdog]

Ask the duck folks but I believe from in the air cell and pipping to hatching takes longer for ducks.

For chickens - you've either a ventilation or humidity problem if they all matured but failed to hatch.

A bator running a degree or two too cool will also lead to a majority of chicks that don't hatch, or late and with problems.

Checking the accuracy of both your thermometers and your hygrometer may tell you where the problems are.

 

[hollymh]

Quote:
See thats what I don't get, my chickens were fine (2 bators, one ducks one chicks) or have been fine here lately, I have two therms. one is hospital grade and calibrated so I KNOW it's accurate and it's withing a .5-1 degree of the digital... Anywho, I think it's because they were shipped, beucase I have gotten a healthy and adorable duck out of the last bacth so I guess I'll just have to wait and see!

Do you know how long that can survive in the air-cell without pipping the egg?

 

[walkswithdog]

MagsC has a thread "I hear ducks..." ask her and the breeder she got hers from about duckbutts. I've never hatched a duck.

Unfortunately reaching 18 days then quiting is not a fault of shipping. If your thermometers are accurate then it was either humidity or ventilation. Shipping in general causes them to never go, or to fail over time before maturity.

 

[CindyS]

Thats completly normal for ducks, they pip through the air cell around day 25, wait a day or so, then pip the shell, then a few days later they hatch. Its a lot longer process with ducks.