Just really disappointed in myself

[Guinea fowl person]

Just recently hatched my second batch of ducklings ever, and it was a complete failure. The first time I only incubated them for nine days as their mom died almost all the way through, so I was very unprepared for this.
I had about 30 eggs hatching, and only 14 pipped. They were also four days late in pipping. One pipped and then died and five got shrink wrapped in their eggs (They lived though). Three have club foot and the one was so severe we put it down, and I think a second one will have to be as well. The last duckling hatched this morning, a full week late and has splayed legs. I just am really frustrated with myself for letting this happen. I'm seriously considering to stop breeding ducks. I've spent two days crying over my failures and I honestly don't know what to do.
I just had to get that off my chest

 

[nchls school]

Raising any kind of animal can be frustrating, disappointing, and down right sad. From what you wrote it sounds like you had a humidity problem (shrink wrapped). But having so many deformities in the ducklings could be a genetic problem in the breeding stock. In this you can't blame yourself.

Try again. Check to make sure the meters are giving accurate readings, get some duck eggs from another source, and be sure the eggs are being turned properly. Make sure the automatic turner is functioning correctly if you have one. Eggs not being turned could also account for some of your problems.

Personally I prefer to use broody hens to hatch eggs. I find good broody hens are more reliable than incubators. Just this week my incubator started malfunctioning; eggs on one side were too hot and the other side cool. Fortunately I caught it in time. The eggs are now under a hen and today's candling showed all the eggs to be developing.

You can't change what happened this time, but giving up on something you enjoy may not be the best thing for you to do. We all feel the frustrations at our failures, but look forward to the joy of success.

 

[Kiki]

Just recently hatched my second batch of ducklings ever, and it was a complete failure. The first time I only incubated them for nine days as their mom died almost all the way through, so I was very unprepared for this.
I had about 30 eggs hatching, and only 14 pipped. They were also four days late in pipping. One pipped and then died and five got shrink wrapped in their eggs (They lived though). Three have club foot and the one was so severe we put it down, and I think a second one will have to be as well. The last duckling hatched this morning, a full week late and has splayed legs. I just am really frustrated with myself for letting this happen. I'm seriously considering to stop breeding ducks. I've spent two days crying over my failures and I honestly don't know what to do.
I just had to get that off my chest

I am so sorry things didn't go well.

How prepared were you?
Prepare better before you try this again.

What incubator do you have?
How many thermometers did you have in your bator?

What exactly do you feed your ducks?

 

[Guinea fowl person]

I am so sorry things didn't go well.

How prepared were you?
Prepare better before you try this again.

What incubator do you have?
How many thermometers did you have in your bator?

What exactly do you feed your ducks?

I only have incubator and one thermometer (though that will change within a week I hope). I feed my ducks a mixture of layer feed and scratch grains, and then for half the day they are free ranged.