DameHillDucks
In the Brooder
- Jun 13, 2016
- 18
- 9
- 49
Hi everyone,
Though I don't post often, this forum has been a HUGE help to me over my past two years of duck keeping. This year we are incubating eggs for the third time. Today is day 28, and I'm getting concerned. Our first hatch went BEAUTIFULLY. They hatched a little early, but everything was just picture perfect. Our second hatch was a disaster - We had a bunch of fully formed (or nearly) ducklings die. I think our humidity was generally too high, and then spiked when we had some unusually humid weather.
This hatch:
We kept our humidity much lower (around 40%), and weighed our eggs to try to achieve around 14% weight loss - which we did quite well! Everyone was moving and grooving as of day 25. I raised the humidity levels at lock down, but I'm afraid I didn't raise them enough. I also think I brought the temp a little too low (97ish) for a bit when I adjusted it down for lockdown.
They are in cartons that are tipped at around a 45-degree angle (so they aren't quite on their sides, but they aren't totally upright either).
The first egg to pip externally was about 36 hours ago (day 26). Others have pipped since then (within the past 24 hours), but no one has actually broken through the shell with their bills - they've just made cracks. Some appear to have begun to try to begin unzipping (there is a large "pipped" area), but again, none seem to have broken all the way through, and many have made little to no progress since the initial pip. I removed a chunk of loose shell from the egg who pipped so long ago, just to see if perhaps it was shrink wrapped. Though the shell was cracked, the outer membrane was completely intact. I ripped through it (carefully!) to check on the duckling (who was very much alive), and the inner membrane didn't seem particularly gooey or dry.
Is this okay? Is there a chance that outer membrane is extra thick/dry so the ducklings can't really break through? What could I do about that? Maybe they are shrink wrapped on some level? Am I freaking out way too early?
The idea of otherwise-healthy ducklings trapped in these eggs is making me a nervous wreck! My biggest concern is that the way they are pipping just feels very different from our first, successful, hatch. Any input would be greatly appreciated. I've seen such a lovely supportive group here, and I could definitely use that today! Thank you in advance!
Though I don't post often, this forum has been a HUGE help to me over my past two years of duck keeping. This year we are incubating eggs for the third time. Today is day 28, and I'm getting concerned. Our first hatch went BEAUTIFULLY. They hatched a little early, but everything was just picture perfect. Our second hatch was a disaster - We had a bunch of fully formed (or nearly) ducklings die. I think our humidity was generally too high, and then spiked when we had some unusually humid weather.
This hatch:
We kept our humidity much lower (around 40%), and weighed our eggs to try to achieve around 14% weight loss - which we did quite well! Everyone was moving and grooving as of day 25. I raised the humidity levels at lock down, but I'm afraid I didn't raise them enough. I also think I brought the temp a little too low (97ish) for a bit when I adjusted it down for lockdown.
They are in cartons that are tipped at around a 45-degree angle (so they aren't quite on their sides, but they aren't totally upright either).
The first egg to pip externally was about 36 hours ago (day 26). Others have pipped since then (within the past 24 hours), but no one has actually broken through the shell with their bills - they've just made cracks. Some appear to have begun to try to begin unzipping (there is a large "pipped" area), but again, none seem to have broken all the way through, and many have made little to no progress since the initial pip. I removed a chunk of loose shell from the egg who pipped so long ago, just to see if perhaps it was shrink wrapped. Though the shell was cracked, the outer membrane was completely intact. I ripped through it (carefully!) to check on the duckling (who was very much alive), and the inner membrane didn't seem particularly gooey or dry.
Is this okay? Is there a chance that outer membrane is extra thick/dry so the ducklings can't really break through? What could I do about that? Maybe they are shrink wrapped on some level? Am I freaking out way too early?
The idea of otherwise-healthy ducklings trapped in these eggs is making me a nervous wreck! My biggest concern is that the way they are pipping just feels very different from our first, successful, hatch. Any input would be greatly appreciated. I've seen such a lovely supportive group here, and I could definitely use that today! Thank you in advance!
