Eggtopsy: What happened to my egg? {Graphic Pictures}

[maryhysong]

Has anyone seen this before?

I had four eggs set to hatch Wednesday, two of which have hatched and had no problems. These eggs were from my own flock and were all collected the same day for incubation. I used a still air homemade incubator. The highest my temps got was 102 and my humidity day 1-19 was between 45%-50%. During lockdown humidity was between 60%-65%. I candled all of my eggs the day lockdown began. I could see movement in all four eggs. Air cells looked to be the appropriate size. I had one chick hatch Tuesday and another Wednesday. Today I did the float test on the last two remaining eggs. One egg immediately sunk to the bottom while the other was floating (didn't see movement, but placed back in the incubator). I decided to open up the egg that sunk (I only used the sharp object to make a crack in the egg). I found a fully formed chick with moist membranes. The chick hadn't moved its head to pip internally. I had to manually unfold the chick to see it properly. What is around the chicks neck?? It wrapped completely around the neck.

To me it looks like the remains of the yolk sac, you can see where it attaches to the belly. How odd for it to have developed like that, I wonder what caused it.

 

[HeatherME]

I thought it looked like part of the yolk sac as well. It's just weird.

 

[QueenofKings]

Candled a few eggs today - hatch day was January 22nd. (Today is Day 24, still have another chick zipping)
Most of the dead were lost between Days 1 - 4, which I blame on the high temp that was running in the incubator at the time. (5 out of the 6 I opened were like this.)

The sixth one however had a saddle-shaped air cell. Seemed as though it had stopped development at Day 20 and simply failed to internally pip. Only had a bit of yolk sac unabsorbed - so either it died when I went to crack it open or it died before it could pip. I place it on the later since when i candled and tapped, there was no movement within the embryo. Further, when I realized there was a chick inside, I noticed that it was not moving at all and remained still.

 

[Sammmy88]

Can someone help me. I was on day 26 of my call duck egg and there was no movement and the veins had gone and when I cracked open I had this. Could you tell me what was wrong so I can start again

 

[Sammmy88]

Here is another maybe clearer

 

[subhanalah]

Has anyone seen this before? I had four eggs set to hatch Wednesday, two of which have hatched and had no problems. These eggs were from my own flock and were all collected the same day for incubation. I used a still air homemade incubator. The highest my temps got was 102 and my humidity day 1-19 was between 45%-50%. During lockdown humidity was between 60%-65%. I candled all of my eggs the day lockdown began. I could see movement in all four eggs. Air cells looked to be the appropriate size. I had one chick hatch Tuesday and another Wednesday. Today I did the float test on the last two remaining eggs. One egg immediately sunk to the bottom while the other was floating (didn't see movement, but placed back in the incubator). I decided to open up the egg that sunk (I only used the sharp object to make a crack in the egg). I found a fully formed chick with moist membranes. The chick hadn't moved its head to pip internally. I had to manually unfold the chick to see it properly. What is around the chicks neck?? It wrapped completely around the neck.

okay, here's my theory. I suspect it was one of two things: 1) the egg itself had too much connective tissue 2) the egg itself had the connective tissue it is supposed to have and either was misplaced within the egg, or was somehow moved before/during setting Okay, maybe 3 3) the chicken while growing and/or moving around, was a klutz and did it wrong, to very sad consequences.

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Can someone help me. I was on day 26 of my call duck egg and there was no movement and the veins had gone and when I cracked open I had this. Could you tell me what was wrong so I can start again

Hard to say really. It died before getting near hatch time you can tell that by the underdeveloped head and large yolk sac. I am unfamiliar with hatching ducklings. Is this the only one you had in the incubator?

 

[subhanalah]

Here is another maybe clearer

Looks cooked. Is it balut?

 

[Sammmy88]

Yes this was the only one as none of the others were fertile. What is balut? Could the humidity have been too high?

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Haha I had to look it up, too:

"A balut or balot is a developing duck embryo that is boiled alive and eaten in the shell. It is commonly sold as streetfood in the Philippines."

I don't think that was your intention.

Usually with chicks if humidity is the problem they reach full size and then either drown at hatch or just don't hatch- but the yolk sac will be absorbed. Like I said i don't have any experience with ducks but I would guess not a humidity problem.

I found this chart useful for chickens. Most is probably also true for ducks. http://msucares.com/poultry/reproductions/trouble.html

It lists the following as most common causes for early embryo death.

Improper incubation temperatures (usually too high)
Improper egg turning Turn at least 3 times daily.
Inherited low hatchability Avoid cross breeding. May need to secure different breeding stock.
Improper ventilation Increase ventilation rate in incubator and/or room, but avoid drafts. Add oxygen at high altitudes.
Pullorum disease or other salmonelloses Use eggs from disease-free sources. Have NPIP representatives blood-test the breeder flock.
Improper nutrition of breeders Provide a well-balanced nutritional diet to breeders.