My duck eggs hatching early!?!? Did I do something wrong?

[WVduckchick]

Thanks! I didn't want to take over someones thread! I did try to start a thread with my questions but, didn't get any responses. :/ So I figure, if they don't come to you, then go to them, right? First, I have all my experience in hatching chickens so that is the basis of my knowledge. I decided to try to hatch ducks. I got some muscovys and Cayuga/Swedish mix eggs locally, however, the girl didn't know who laid what. I've got them both going, but I'm not sure when to stop turning since they have such different incubation periods. i saw someone mention they stop turning when there is an internal pip. Should I wait for that and then move them to a hatcher as i see them pipping? I wonder if I would be able to spot that. Also, I candled them yesterday...a little on the early side but I was too excited lol...and could see 2 eggs developing really nicely, even to the point that I could see the heartbeat! But then I had several with nothing but a thin red line randomly in the middle of the egg. Is that red line an early quitter? It wasn't the tell tale blood circle so I wasn't sure. im hoping that it is just the start of the veining?!? But I am doubtful. I can post pictures tomorrow if that would help. Thanks for any help you can offer!

Wow, muscovies take a whole extra week. I'm curious to see what others say, as I'm no expert, but i think I'd lock them all down on day 25, and stop turning, and see what hatches first. After a couple days of Swedish hatchings, candle what's left and see if they are still alive. That should be the muscovies.
Also, i would assume that the muscovies develop a little slower, so you may be able to separate them by around day 20? The Swedish should be filling up the egg good by then. But i don't know a darn about muscovy growth. I never saw internal pips with my Swedish.
All guessing on my part, wait and see what others say.

 

[Lacrystol]

His right leg twists inwards

But, we'll see what the vet says in the morning! Hopefully she'll be able to sort him out

I'm not confident enough to attempt it! He's a lovely little thing! Currently hand feeding him chick crumb with brewers yeast added. He does find it hard to get comfortable though

I've made him a little nest with my fluffy dressing gown which he likes!

Not confident to give him Vitamin B3? they need it! and they need lots of it, at least 100ml to 150ml. This will REALLY do wonders on the legs. But keep us posted with the vet visit..


Niacin (Nicotinic Acid) Deficiency
There is good evidence that poultry—even chick and turkey embryos—can synthesize niacin but at a rate that is too slow for optimal growth. It has been claimed that a marked deficiency of niacin cannot occur in chickens unless there is a deficiency of tryptophan, a niacin precursor.
Niacin deficiency has been seen in chicks, ducks, geese, and turkey poults when certain practical-type diets were fed. Diets high in corn (maize) and soybean meal are particularly amenable to improvement by inclusion of supplemental niacin. Ducks, turkeys, and geese have considerably higher requirements for niacin than chicks. Most of the niacin present in practical feedstuffs, such as corn, is unavailable to poultry. Mature birds are better able to synthesize niacin than young ones.
Clinical Findings:

In a borderline deficiency in chicks, the only sign is retarded growth. Chicks and poults fed a deficient diet develop a hock disorder similar in appearance to perosis, with swollen hocks and bowed legs. Goslings and ducklings develop abnormalities of the legs, which have been referred to as perosis and bowed legs, respectively. Laying chickens fed a diet deficient in niacin exhibit weight loss and reduced egg production and hatchability. (See also Manganese Deficiency.)
Prevention and Treatment:

Niacin deficiency in chickens may be prevented by feeding a diet that contains ~27 mg niacin/kg, but many nutritionists recommend 2-2½ times as much. An allowance of 55-70 mg/kg of feed appears to be satisfactory for ducks, geese, and turkeys. Ample niacin should be provided in poultry diets so that the birds do not have to synthesize it from tryptophan, which may be difficult to supply.

another Site:
Nicotinic acid Deficiency

• Bowed legs (100% incidence in niacin-deficient juveniles) and enlarged hock joints main signs, but slipped tendon rare; also retarded growth.
• May also see anorexia, poor feather development, scaly dermatitis of feet and skin and black discolouration of tongue and oral mucosa.

(B10.15.w15, B13.46.w1, B16.19.w1, B32.2.23, B35.13.w5).
Further Information

• Relatively high requirement for niacin in ducklings; ducks are less efficient than chickens at synthesising niacin from tryptophan, probably due to relatively high picolinic carboxylase activity (B13.46.w1, B32.2.23).
• Treatment: 100mg niacin daily parenterally, plus increase niacin in diet.
• Prevention: Ensure sufficient niacin in diet. May need supplementation. Brewer's yeast is a good source of niacin. 70mg/kg diet recommended for starting and for growing/finishing Pekin ducks, 50mg/kg for breeding ducks.
• Diagnosis from clinical signs (bowed legs) is confirmed by the response to supplementation

(B13.46.w1, B35.13.w5).

 

[Lacrystol]

He just needs a good wash

OH THANK GOD. LOL

 

[Teacherchick18]

LOL, Ok you came to us... LOL What day are you on?  give them 7 days AT least to see good signs of life, you have to give ducks more time then chickens because chickens have less time.  LOL

NO you should NOT wait until they internally pip, what you should do is wait until they DIP..  once you see that they have dipped then you are at 3 days before hatching day, that's when you Lock them down.  I usually take mine off the turner 4 days but then again, I hatch out call ducks, talk about a challenge.  

NOW, where is your humidity, where is your temp and do you have a fan?  Do you have them in an upright position on the turner?  

this may help you some www.lwbarnhouse.com, I have some Incubating tips on there.  good for any ducks. even chickens.

I am on day 5, which is early, I just couldn't wait to check for life! I have them upright in a turning. My incubator has a fan and temps have been as close to 99.5 as I can keep it. It will get to 100 on occasion and drop to 97.5 but probably not long enough to actually cool the eggs really. I started doing them at a "dry" hatch cause that's what I do with my chickens and have always had success doing that. Where I live our natural humidity stays at around 35-45%. I freaked out a little yesterday and bumped up the humidity from about 40% to about 55-60% cause I thought the air sac looked big, but maybe that's cause I'm used to chickens.

 

[Teacherchick18]

Wow, muscovies take a whole extra week. I'm curious to see what others say, as I'm no expert, but i think I'd lock them all down on day 25, and stop turning, and see what hatches first. After a couple days of Swedish hatchings, candle what's left and see if they are still alive. That should be the muscovies.
Also, i would assume that the muscovies develop a little slower, so you may be able to separate them by around day 20? The Swedish should be filling up the egg good by then. But i don't know a darn about muscovy growth. I never saw internal pips with my Swedish.
All guessing on my part, wait and see what others say.

Yes! That's exactly why I was unsure what to do. I can get by with a couple days different, but I don't know about a whole week! Lol

 

[Lacrystol]

I am on day 5, which is early, I just couldn't wait to check for life! I have them upright in a turning. My incubator has a fan and temps have been as close to 99.5 as I can keep it. It will get to 100 on occasion and drop to 97.5 but probably not long enough to actually cool the eggs really. I started doing them at a "dry" hatch cause that's what I do with my chickens and have always had success doing that. Where I live our natural humidity stays at around 35-45%. I freaked out a little yesterday and bumped up the humidity from about 40% to about 55-60% cause I thought the air sac looked big, but maybe that's cause I'm used to chickens.

good stick with the dry, I have my bator on and I have never put water in it yet. It stays at 20% LOL, everything sounds very good.. as long as the humidity goes down your OK, I would take ONE extra step and that is Misting them, Mist them once a day.

 

[WVduckchick]

Teacherchick, do you know if the muscovies were allowed to mate with the others, or did she just not label the eggs? I ask because I was reading if a mallard-derived female mates with a muscovy male, the incubation is 4 weeks. If its a muscovy female, and mallard-derived male, the incubation is 5 weeks. So it depends on the female.

 

[eggorthechicken]

I have had one that hatched with what I thought curled feet but it just needed some electrolytes and time and he was fine. His feet ended up straightening out on its own.

 

[eggorthechicken]

good stick with the dry, I have my bator on and I have never put water in it yet. It stays at 20% LOL, everything sounds very good..  as long as the humidity goes down your OK, I would take ONE extra step and that is Misting them, Mist them once a day.

I also dry incubate mine as well. I may add a little water every now and then during the first 25 days and then bump it up at lockdown.

 

[Lacrystol]

I also dry incubate mine as well. I may add a little water every now and then during the first 25 days and then bump it up at lockdown.

Yep, it's the best way to go so you don't end up with sticky babies. LOL