Help diagnosing hatch problem

[FenDruadin]

I had a 91% hatch rate on my last hatch, and then only 76% rate on this one. Can anyone help me diagnose?

The five eggs that did not make it ALL internally pipped. One pipped externally. None had absorbed the yolk upon autopsy, although one had absorbed most of it.

My humidity was really, really good throughout the hatch. These eggs had been through a previous lockdown on a staggered hatch, but then so had the batch that gave me the 91% hatch rate.

Thoughts? What are the possible causes for death in a duckling that has pipped internally but not absorbed the yolk sac? What about the one that managed to pip externally and still didn't absorb the yolk?

 

[FenDruadin]

Can anyone help?

 

[Sweetfolly]

I'm sorry.

Here are some websites that might help you figure out the cause:

http://www.gov.ns.ca/agri/agaware/chickhatch/pg9.pdf

http://msucares.com/poultry/reproductions/trouble.html

I lost half of my Runner hatch two weeks ago because they started hatching 4 days early, before lockdown had even begun, while they were still in the auto-turning cradle. Two dried out because the humidity was too low, and two never internally pipped, but were fully formed. The rest that did hatch all had a bit of yolk left unabsorbed, just barely healed navels, and one of them left a big pool of blood behind in the eggshell. The temperature was great all the way though, and although I run the humidity a little low, it was stable and has been working great for me - they were in the same incubator that has been running for three months straight now and had several successful hatches. I added a bunch of Bantam eggs to the 'bator a week before they were supposed to hatch, and I think that may have somehow caused a temporary temperature spike that I didn't catch or just somehow spurred the eggs into hatching early.

All the surviving ducklings are doing great and living in new homes as pets today though!

 

[FenDruadin]

Wonderful! Thank you for those links. I don't see anything that makes a lot of sense yet... but you've given me some good ideas for other things to search for. I'm now thinking: Could it be vitamin deficiencies? Or disease? What disease could cause that? I am going to keep researching and see what I come up with. Also will be interested in how this next hatch goes.

Thanks again for the help--