Help...so disappointed

[DanaMo]

I am day 30 of my eggs. I don't know why I don't have a hatch yet. My temperature has been consistent throughout the incubation period. Water has been in the reservoir the whole time. I can see a large air pocket in at least 2 of the eggs. I started with 10, got rid of 4 already that were not fertilized. I can see that ducklings grew inside the egg. Do I just have to be patient. Would could have caused the eggs to die if they did indeed die. I have a class of 23/5 year olds who are going to be so disappointed. I used the same incubator last year and hatched 4 ducks. Please tell me I still have hope.

 

[Amiga]

There is a good writeup on hatching in the Stickies section. Have you seen that? I am not a hatcher, but I have read that there can be problems all along the way, sometimes opening the incubator at the wrong point in time can shrink-wrap the ducklings, for example. There is also a thread, Thread Formerly Known as Hatch Day is Today. Perhaps someone there can help.

 

[DanaMo]

Where do I find those threads. I don't see that in the drop down list?

 

[Amiga]

Here is the Sticky List

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/256233/ducks-sticky-topics-index

Here is the hatching thread from the stickies

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/491013/goose-incubation-hatching-guide-completed

Here is the other thread

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/594278/thread-formerly-known-as-hatch-day-is-today

 

[DanaMo]

One more bit of information. I candled at day 20 and was actually able to video the duckling moving in the egg!! I am so frustrated. What in the world happened?

 

[Amiga]

That is a question for the experienced hatchers. See if you can find someone on that last thread link I sent who might offer some thoughts.

 

[aprille218]

If there still alive and haven't hatched then your temp was too low during incubation. What do you have the temperature as? Also what kind of incubator are you using?

 

[DanaMo]

It was a brand new incubator last year, Little Giant still air. Last year I hatched 4 eggs and I was happy. This year I bought the fan kit and added it and it seemed to hold the temperature steady. The thermometer says that it is 99.5.

 

[DanaMo]

PS I'm a kindergarten teacher, not a breeder. I will be happy to get just one. I saw movement at day 20 and 25 then nothing!!!

 

[ChicagoDucks]

I am day 30 of my eggs. I don't know why I don't have a hatch yet. My temperature has been consistent throughout the incubation period. Water has been in the reservoir the whole time. I can see a large air pocket in at least 2 of the eggs. I started with 10, got rid of 4 already that were not fertilized. I can see that ducklings grew inside the egg. Do I just have to be patient. Would could have caused the eggs to die if they did indeed die. I have a class of 23/5 year olds who are going to be so disappointed. I used the same incubator last year and hatched 4 ducks. Please tell me I still have hope.

Are any of the eggs moving? Did any pip yet? Can you hear anything if you hold the egg to your ear, either a quiet "rap, rap, rap" or chirping (both are good sounds to hear)? If the answer is yes to any of these, there is hope. You can do a float test too--but I've only been told about it, never tried it.

I had one hatch on day 30 last year--I was really worried about it, but she turned out healthy and happy. My temp was a little too low on that hatch.

As for what went wrong, it could be a few things.
Where did the eggs come from? Shipped eggs are sometimes damaged in transit and can cause bad hatches.
What was the temp and humidity during incubation? Low temp causes delayed hatches, high temp kills the embryos. Like Amiga said, low humidity will "shrink wrap" the duckling.
How often did you turn the eggs? They need to be turned 3+ times a day to keep the embryos healthy.
Was the incubator sanitized before use? Bacterial growth can cause eggs to quit.
Was there any ventilation in the incubator? The embryos absorb oxygen through their shells. If the vents were closed or blocked on the incubator, it could cause quitters.