*graphic* Day 46 and ducklings still not developed?

[Silkiechicken66]

So I’ve had 6 duck eggs in an incubator for 46 days now.

I went to cut one open day 35 to see how developed when it died(wasn’t seeing any movement at all) to see what I did wrong. Well, duckling was still alive. I hadn’t cut the aircell, so I just tried keeping it moist with a thin layer of Vaseline. It was very undeveloped, and died a day later.

Still had the other eggs in the incubator. So I took another out that kinda smelt and cut it open. Accidentally cut the aircell and the duckling bled out. But it was still not developed enough to be hatched?

I’ve kept humidity and temps right, but haven’t had the turner in since day 25. Should I put it back in for the other eggs or just trash them or what?? I’m so confused and this has NEVER happened before.

-Graphic pictures below, here’s the one that I accidentally cut just now-

 

[CluckNDoodle]

I'm so sorry you're having such a difficult hatch! Are they muscovies? I only have a little experience with hatching waterfowl but even with my hatch taking about 3 days from internal pip to actually hatching I would think that 46 days is excessive in what should be a 35 day hatch. Low temps are often responsible for late hatches, do you have a backup thermometer that has been calibrated that you could check against the thermometer on your incubator? Again I'm so sorry for your losses!

 

[Silkiechicken66]

I'm so sorry you're having such a difficult hatch! Are they muscovies? I only have a little experience with hatching waterfowl but even with my hatch taking about 3 days from internal pip to actually hatching I would think that 46 days is excessive in what should be a 35 day hatch. Low temps are often responsible for late hatches, do you have a backup thermometer that has been calibrated that you could check against the thermometer on your incubator? Again I'm so sorry for your losses!

They are muscovies Yes. I have a humidity/temp thing that I put in, and everything’s correct.

Maybe I don’t have luck with muscovies. I have two broody hens who their eggs never hatch, I guess some weird gene that screws the eggs up. These are eggs being incubated at a sanctuary I work at, perfectly healthy birds with previous ducklings hatched from their eggs.

Thank you so much, I’m very confused and just don’t know what to do

 

[CluckNDoodle]

They are muscovies Yes. I have a humidity/temp thing that I put in, and everything’s correct.

Maybe I don’t have luck with muscovies. I have two broody hens who their eggs never hatch, I guess some weird gene that screws the eggs up. These are eggs being incubated at a sanctuary I work at, perfectly healthy birds with previous ducklings hatched from their eggs.

Thank you so much, I’m very confused and just don’t know what to do

If it's consistently happening with eggs from the same birds than I would imagine there is an underlying genetic or health issue that you can't see. I actually just hatched multiple chicken breeds in the same incubator at the same and I had a very poor hatch with lots of issues from one of the flocks while all of the others were ok. Only because in my own personal experience thermometers can be so unreliable I would still consider getting another and make sure to calibrate the new one before putting it in and see if the old one possibly just went bad. Sometimes in hatching as much as we try, we just can't figure out what went wrong.

 

[AquaDuck]

You've had the eggs in the incubator for 46 days??? Or do you mean 36?

 

[dougieee]

Im not sure what you mean about the chicks being underdeveloped? They look ok to me.
Breaking into an egg on day 35 is also premature, you wont see much to zero movement as the embreyo takes up all the room in the egg by then and its nothing to worry about
As mentioned above check, double check and triple check temps. I speak from experience on this as my hatch of brahmas pipped on day 23/24, i bought a second internal thermometer and realised both the digital and original thermometer were 2f out, which both delayed and lowered the hatch rate.

Also half a dozen eggs isnt much to go on, for example if you set 20 eggs and got a 70% hatch rate you would still lose that many in yolkers, quitters, drowned chicks etc..... my point is that it could just purely be a bad batch coupled with bad luck unfortunately.

 

[Silkiechicken66]

You've had the eggs in the incubator for 46 days??? Or do you mean 36?

47 days now

 

[Silkiechicken66]

Update!!!!

A baby hatched, and another is pipping!!

I’m never cutting another egg open, I’ve killed two ducklings doing that cause I was impatient or thought something was wrong

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Update!!!!

A baby hatched, and another is pipping!! View attachment 1846615

I’m never cutting another egg open, I’ve killed two ducklings doing that cause I was impatient or thought something was wrong

That's incredible!! I've never heard of a duckling hatching successfully after 47 days! I hate to sound like a broken record, but you're sure it's 47 days and not 37?! I'm shocked!
I'm glad they're starting to hatch for you! Fingers crossed the rest goes smoothly!

 

[Silkiechicken66]

That's incredible!! I've never heard of a duckling hatching successfully after 47 days! I hate to sound like a broken record, but you're sure it's 47 days and not 37?! I'm shocked!
I'm glad they're starting to hatch for you! Fingers crossed the rest goes smoothly!

I’m 100% sure it’s 47 days, I have an incubation calendar I count down on! Never thought anything would happen, but I kept them on there just Incase. Glad I did.