HELP!!! MOM DIED!!!

[un-named543]

Good luck!!

 

[Iain Utah]

I'm very sorry to say that if there was no movement at all, then the babies have passed. If you'd like, you can carefully open one up to check inside, but my bet is that they got shrink wrapped. You can candle the fat end of egg to find air cell.... then take a tiny drill bit or eyeglasses screwdriver or anything like that with a sharp point. Carefully puncture shell then peel away a hole the size of a dime. Then you can see inside. Chances are you will see white papery material that looks shrunk wrapped around the baby.

 

[wordgirl]

I did the float test. They all floated, but not one wiggled . Does that mean they are all dead? Until I hear for sure, I will proceed with your instructions of building the styrofoam cooler incubator.

Keep us updated.

Iain Utah mentioned that they might need help if the ducklings are shrink-wrapped - she may be right. I'm sorry I said anything about them needing or not needing help during hatching - I really don't know much yet about hatching. If you think they're having trouble, you might want to ask and see how much struggling is normal, because it does take some time for them to get the shell open once they start.

I hope your eggs are still alive.

 

[wordgirl]

I'm very sorry to say that if there was no movement at all, then the babies have passed. If you'd like, you can carefully open one up to check inside, but my bet is that they got shrink wrapped. You can candle the fat end of egg to find air cell.... then take a tiny drill bit or eyeglasses screwdriver or anything like that with a sharp point. Carefully puncture shell then peel away a hole the size of a dime. Then you can see inside. Chances are you will see white papery material that looks shrunk wrapped around the baby.

Do you think that it might be possible that the ducklings are so big (about to hatch) that they can't move the egg much anymore?

 

[MrsK]

I'm very sorry to say that if there was no movement at all, then the babies have passed. If you'd like, you can carefully open one up to check inside, but my bet is that they got shrink wrapped. You can candle the fat end of egg to find air cell.... then take a tiny drill bit or eyeglasses screwdriver or anything like that with a sharp point. Carefully puncture shell then peel away a hole the size of a dime. Then you can see inside. Chances are you will see white papery material that looks shrunk wrapped around the baby.

You were right . The one I opened was shrink wrapped. How or why does this happen? So sad.... Not that I was prepared to successfully do this or I would have researched and got the necessary equipment first. But I was really hoping to save them. It was a cool windy day at 51 degrees. I guess that was too long to be out of their warmth. Or maybe the gulls knocked them around too much. Poor babies

 

[Iain Utah]

The float test cuts off oxygen to the baby, which will trigger a reaction.

 

[Iain Utah]

It is a humidity issue. They need 75% humidity to keep that inner membrane from drying out and suctioning to the baby. When you described what happened, those eggs were exposed to dry air, which would have dried the membranes out really fast.

 

[MrsK]

Of all the days for the wind to kick up, it had to be today? We've had nice weather for weeks but today was 51 and windy. This weekend they are calling for a high of 80, no wind. This couldn't have happened any other day?? I am so bummed. We love to watch the new baby ducklings grow through the spring and summer every year and hand feed them from the dock in the back yard. Their poor mom we had hand fed as a baby herself. She used to tap on our front door if we didn't bring her food out early enough. She was wild, but they are all 'tamed' wild ducks. Hope the gulls don't get the others. There's been a lot of mating lately with the mallards and swedish ducks. Hope they are not found out and killed by the seagulls too.

You know...looking back, if they were alive when we brought them in, the hair dryer sealed their fate. I really wish I knew better before this happened.