help shrunk wrapped call duck eggs

[CityChicker]

Are you sure what you are describing with the membrane was not completely normal? This line in your first post worries me, "Membrane almost totally seperated from egg shell." You do know the chick/duckling is covered by the membrane at hatch, right? The chick internally pips through the membrane and then externally pips through the shell. When you say that the membrane was separated from the shell, it makes me think you don't realize the chick is not completely "loose" inside the egg, but maybe I am just not reading your initial post correctly. It sounds like you may have intervened when it was completely unnecessary to do so. I *very* rarely intervene. Even if the temp. had been slightly off and the eggs were late, they will still frequently hatch without help (unless something was WAY off).

I would check your temp. and humidity (with preferably more than one therm/hygrometers) and try again. Hatching eggs is a learning process. Keep trying! You will eventually have success.

 

[ruralmom]

I do understand what you are saying. Three layered egg: shell, thicker membrane , and then the very thin inner sac around the duckling. What I was trying to discribe was the thicker membrane had detached from the shell and had shrunk wrapped to the duckling. They were both butt up against the air sac, ( head down) and either was to dry to rotate or I stepped in to early. Of course, in hind site I did step in too early but I do not think they would of hatched anyway since they were do dry. That thicker egg membrane was white and rubbery. This was my first duck hatch but I have hatched a bunch of chicks. I actually had a mercury therm. in the bator and two temp/humidity thermomters in the bator as well. The two were only off just a few % of humidity.
If I can just drive myself nuts trying to figure this out. Either way, huge loss, I am sure I will try again. Thanks for all the support.