In need of advice!!

[Pyxis]

The air cells look great. I'm just afraid that the membrane dried up after we cracked into the shell.

We've had that same thing! The inner clear casing dried up into a hard layer! I believe that it was because when the chick started to pip it was too weak to carry on, so it gave up and it was too late for the hen to continue pipping and the inner part dried, we then manually opened the egg being very, very careful to opening it, and it was successful, the chick made it out alive.Before you open any egg shells you should be positive that the chick is trying to pip, and has started to. Also make sure that none of the eggs get rotated again once they have started to pip, this causes the chick to pip at the bottom, making no progress, and it will become too weak and will die.

Very sorry about the chick,

Best wishes,
-Birdbrain101 

This is called shrink wrapping. You can help a chick/duckling hatch when it happens. It will cause them to die if they can't get out and die of exhaustion from trying to get themselves out or if you leave them so long that thirst or hunger kills them.

On the pipping front, I'm not sure what you mean by after it pips don't turn it or it pips in the wrong spot? How could this be if it was already pipped? Also, hens move eggs all the time as they're hatching and it doesn't mess them up. Chicks also kick unhatched eggs around in the incubator like they're playing soccer and that doesn't mess them up either. Moving an egg doesn't cause it to pip in the wrong place, only a malposition can do that. (Looks like Friday beat me to this, lol)

There are many things that could have killed this egg. It could have had an infected yolk sac, it could have been malpositioned, there could have been extra fluid in the egg that it drowned on, etc. The only way to know for sure is going to be to do an eggtopsy.

 

[FlyFisherWV]

I appreciate all of your help guys, I really want to be able to leave them to hatch unassisted. We still have 25-30 eggs depending on how the youngest candle up. Humidity around 50-55 and a constant 99 degrees in the incubator with 5 turns a day should do for them until they begin to pip correct? Once pipped boost the humidity until it hatches and dont interfere with the duckling for 24 hours? I just want to make sure I have it down to give the rest of them the best chance I can.

 

[Pyxis]

I appreciate all of your help guys, I really want to be able to leave them to hatch unassisted. We still have 25-30 eggs depending on how the youngest candle up. Humidity around 50-55 and a constant 99 degrees in the incubator with 5 turns a day should do for them until they begin to pip correct? Once pipped boost the humidity until it hatches and dont interfere with the duckling for 24 hours? I just want to make sure I have it down to give the rest of them the best chance I can.

Yes, these are all the standard things you want to do. You should also eggtopsy the ones you lost to see if you can find out why they didn't make it and if it's something you can correct with the other eggs. Keep us updated on how the rest do!

 

[FlyFisherWV]

I did manage to do an eggtopsy on them and the first one that blued must have ruptured a blood vessel or bled by some other means. He also did not have much of his yolk absorbed.

As for the recent one, his head was actually in the wrong end of the egg. Almost like he tried to pip from the narrow end of the egg. And I don't think our allowing the membrane to go dry helped

I can say though that pekin/khaki crosses are very cute. I'm praying for a miracle on the rest of them!

 

[Pyxis]

That's just bad luck on both of them - the first one likely ruptured a major vessel when it pipped internally and the second one was in a difficult malposition and was probably unable to pip. Neither is your fault.

 

[FlyFisherWV]

Thanks for the relief. I think I have a few days until the rest of the first generation pips. I will keep eveyone updated! I've really been pulling my hair out waiting for these babies.

 

[FridayYet]

Thanks for the relief. I think I have a few days until the rest of the first generation pips. I will keep eveyone updated! I've really been pulling my hair out waiting for these babies.

 

[Bird-Brain101]

Ok, good to know, I honestly thought it was because of pipping at the bottom because some chicks that died when there were only signs of pipping facing downwards.
Much appreciated,
-Birdbrain101

 

[FlyFisherWV]

Update! The two eggs within 3-5 days of being due have really progressed nicely for how inactive the ducks were inside the shell just two days ago. One of them has really pushed up hard on the air sac membrane and I feel after tonight he will probably be through the membrane and ready to start cutting his way around! (I hope)

 

[Ravynscroft]