Muscovy hatch :) *Update--dead in egg question*

[princessmama]

Aren't they sweet!

Meadow

Morton

Missy

Names contingent on gender of course

Has anyone had a bird do this? Instead of zipping he made these big holes, then got stuck. When he got all fluffed out like this I gave him just a little help(he hadn't made any progress in about nine hours). He was loud, and kicking so hard the whole egg was flexing. So, I wasn't worried about helping out a baby that was not strong enough to survive. But the membrane was brown and hard.
I just chipped away a little shell and wet the membrane. A couple hours later I wet the membrane again. He was kicking hard. I watched the water soak in then on the next kick the top of the egg finally tore away.

He had a leg and wing sticking out and his head was way back in the small end of the egg (where he had had his beak out before, obviously to make the holes

I think he got wedged down there when he tried to turn.

Morton is the strongest so far, the first to stand up, anyway.

I have nine more eggs in the bator, not showing any activity so far. These three hatched yesterday morning. Tomorrow is day 35 so I'm not giving up on the others yet...

 

[Chickenhatcher89]

So Adorable!

 

[keeperofthehearth]

Awww, so cute! Congrats!

Hope you get a great hatch.

I love Scovies. I have 40 ducklings right now and 13 under a broody duck due in about a week.

 

[princessmama]

These are my first scovies

I love them already.

My FIL says "oh, you got the UGLY ducks. The UGLY ones. They're UGLY!"

Good grief.

 

[princessmama]

I just candled (without picking eggs up) when I opened the bator to mist and wet the sponge etc. I took out three eggs I was certain were goners; and left the rest, including a couple I'm pretty sure are done. With even a bit of doubt tho, i figure it can't hurt to leave them.

I opened the three I took out. Carefully, listening for any sounds or movement after tapping on the egg, and again after making a tiny hole. Nothing. Two of the eggs contained fully formed ducklings, dead. Looked like they got into the air cell before they died. One the inner membrane was intact and it looked very dark and swirly and yuck. I didn't get into that; afraid of the smell. I think that one may not have finished growing before it quit.

Could the two fully formed ducks have died from too low humidity? I know it could be anything. They were shipped eggs too. I've heard you get a lot of quitters from that...

I can't help worrying it was something I did. I kept the humidity up as well as I could with a wet sponge and misting the eggs twice a day...

I had a hard time opening the eggs. It is easy to get attached to them even before they hatch. Especially when you see them wiggling around every time you candle.

I really hope I get a couple more babies!