My mother duck just died today... can I save the eggs?

[Kaelinstorm]

She was just a week short of their hatching time. I dont have an incubator. How would I know which eggs where viable and how can I save them (if at all) since I dont have an incubator.

 

[buckboy101]

Not much hope left but you could still try to save them by trying to borrow an incubator, i hope it works out

 

[Struttn1]

If you have a broody chicken to put them under they may hatch or call around and see if you can find a friend who has a broody or incubator and could hatch them for you.

 

[YYZ]

That is so sad....what happened to momma duck?

 

[Kaelinstorm]

No friends with incubator and no broody chickens/ducks... she was the only one I had that started to get broody.

As to what happened to her... A month ago she had decided to nest behind the chicken coop where a tattered tarp over hung the spot she chose. I guess I didnt think much of it especially since I checked on her just about everyday (except of course yesterday) it looked as though she went and got herself really tangled up in that tarp and it was tightly wrapped around her neck. It looked like she might have gotten stuck and panicked until she hung herself. I gave her the best burial I could in 100 degree weather and rocky soil that this pregnant woman could give but I would have really liked to honor her by finishing what she had tried so hard to do. She loved those eggs and had hardly ever left them except to eat, take a bath and move about in the rain. I wish I could have. She would have been such a good Momma

I guess if one of my two other girls gets broody Ill make sure they do it in a place that is safer. It took Howard almost 3 years before she was interested.

Thank you guys for your help anyway. I love this forum

So nice to have some answers from others who have real experience.

 

[homemakerjulie]

I know this will probably be too late, but do you have a heating pad? wrap eggs in there with a thermometer to see if it's the right temp, it could work. You could even wrap them in a lightly damp wash cloth (that you keep rewetting) for humidity, and then wrap the whole thing in a blanket to keep the heat in. I'm so sorry about your duck, how awful. About a month ago, I lost my whole flock because of letting my chickens roost somewhere unsafe (they had done it before, but this time the fox brought her litter, and they figured a way in). It is an awful feeling.

Julie

 

[C&Rman]

Yeah a heating pad or a heat lamp, just place it close enough to heat them but not fry them then turn them.. I am so sorry for your lost. Hopefully you can find a way to hatch them

 

[tgperg]

You said it was 100 degrees where you are? They sure didn't get cold during the day. You might be able to save 'em. I had the same thing happen to my ducks. Well, one died, and the other one went off the nest because off too much going on. But get yourself a small flashlight, and use it to candle the eggs from the wide end. If you see a developed embryo that's still moving, you've got viable eggs. Then just put the eggs on some warm wet towels inside a styrofoam cooler and put a light over it. You'll need to use a thermometer to make sure that it's at 100 degrees. Then just let 'em go, and keep checking periodically (every couple of days?) with your flashlight to candle them and make sure they're still alive. I dithered about whether I'd get an incubator or not over the last few days. I kept the eggs in my bathroom where it's nice and humid and I had a big floor lamp with a 75 watt flood light that I shone on them, and put a 89 garden thermometer by them to measure the warmth of the eggs. They were still moving nicely when I took them out and put them in a real incubator.

Traci

 

[chrystalduck]

If you go with the cooler idea, sounds like a good one to me. Make sure you put a couple little holes in the top for ventilation. Stop turning 3 days before there hatch date. I'm so sorry about momma duck. Please keep us posted on the eggs.

 

[Kaelinstorm]

I didnt save the eggs. I just didnt feel experienced enough much less have ANY of the things I would need (not even a heating pad)

Ill miss her but just a week later my other two girls decided to become broody and as of July 5 my Magpie had 12 babies and my Cayuga is sitting on about 10 which are about a week behind Maggies. They are stinkin adorable

Maggie is super protective of them LOL