Egg Emergency! *update* all died :(

[obsidianembrace]

I'm starting to think we were wrong for bringing them in at all.

 

[obsidianembrace]

*bump*

They're rapidly getting even darker with the air bubble line even more defined! I don't think this is normal!!

Pics from three hours ago on page 6. I can post more pictures.

Please help!!

 

[secretquail]

that sure looks different...would anyone suggest breaking one open to see what is going on?

 

[obsidianembrace]

That's what my mom wants to try. I want confirmation that it may be necessary, though.

 

[duckyfromoz]

I did read through all this yesterday- but cant remember now= and wanted to reply while you are still online... did you candle them and see movement when you put the eggs into the makeshift incubator a few days ago??

The dark grey could well indicate a roatten egg and the extra humidity of the last few days has made them rot worse. You can sometimes smell a rotten egg through the shell even if there is no crack. Since the first one was hatching- a few days ago- these guys may now be late which would mean it COULD be ok to try to offer assistance- but each egg is different. Is there any that are not turning dark??

 

[FenDruadin]

Wow--those are good-sized air cells, I can't believe you can see them so clearly without candling!

Here is what I would do: Go ahead and candle in a dark room. If they are dead, they will be completely still and quiet in there. If they are living, you can look for several things: Movement at the membrane edge, where they are pushing against the membrane to the air cell; a shadow in the shape of a bill poking into the air cell and moving around a bit; the sound of cheeping or tapping inside the shell. Any of those signs and you have a living chick. If it is still and quiet, you probably have a dead chick, but there's a chance it's sleeping. I would put it back in the incubator for an hour, then check again. If it's still and quiet still, then I would start cracking it open, starting with a small hole over the air cell to look in and see what's going on.

Good luck. I hope they're okay--it's so hard to tell at this point without candling.

 

[katharinad]

It's kind of hard to go by pictures, especially when you don't know exactly how old the eggs are. I do all my incubation in an incubator and not with a broody duck. Clear separation from dark to white is good. At the same time we know they have not internally pipped, or the white would turn darker. I know my eggs get those blotches when they are close to hatch, and I usually hear scratching sounds. The blotches seem to be scratched blood vessels, which should get absorbed when they hatch. Those are not the areas the bill will get out off. Best is to hold them close to your ear and listen for scratching sounds. No sounds could mean they are sleeping or they are not alive, so you cannot tell from there either. A stethoscope can help to hear a heartbeat, but you have to place and find the right position or you will not hear a thing either. This mean only someone with experience should try the stethoscope. Best is just to wait and see. They may not be ready yet. The one that died may have not had the lungs developed to the hatching point, which means that the other eggs may be still days away from hatching. I would say sit tight and don't do anything. Keep the temps and humidity right, and that is all you can do.

 

[obsidianembrace]

We tried with a stethoscope (we borrowed one from a doctor in our neighborhood) but we weren't sure if we heard anything. Maybe we should ask her to listen?

It's been very stable lately, so I guess we'll just hang out and wait.

See, this egg isn't dark at all. It's still white when he's hatching.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...a=X&ei=e7tUTK2YJor0tgPG-IHbAg&ved=0CBsQ9QEwAQ

That's what I thought it would look like.

 

[obsidianembrace]

Do healthy duck eggs have a 'smell'? Or will they not smell? I'm trying to see if any smell rotten.

 

[FenDruadin]

Healthy eggs will smell clean. If you get a rotten smell in the incubator, you've got at least one rotten egg. Sorry! If that's the case, then smelling each one is a good idea. Don't toss it if it has only a faint odor--it might just have absorbed some of the ambient odor. But if it's leaking fluid or stinking badly, go ahead and open and/or toss.

Good luck...