Need help with a question...

[casslarrabee225]

What would cause a duck to die at day 26 incubation? When I checked on the egg in the morning there appeared to be a light brownish half-dollar sized spot near the small end of the egg (noticeable from the outside of the egg) . I candled it and then duck showed no movement for hours. The egg also got cool fairly fast which I experienced with another egg last year that hadn't made it either. The duck looked fine and normal, it was very cute. But just didn't make it. Never pipped. It seemed like it's head was awfully close to the small end of the egg. Is it possible that the duck should have pipped into the air cell but wasn't positioned right???

 

[Iain Utah]

Yes. Sometimes, the ducklings cannot get into position to break into air cell and they will try to break directly through the shell. Unfortunately, they can hit a vein, which I think is the cause of the staining on outside of egg.

 

[casslarrabee225]

Thanks for replying. I was worried maybe it was something with my incubator. It's so sad I candled it the night before and the duck was moving around just fine and the next morning..gone. (

 

[Iain Utah]

I don't think it was anything you did or did not do.... at least that is what a wise and experienced hatcher told me when I had 3 of 12 not make it in my last hatch because they were turned backwards.

Sorry your ducky did not make it... hope you try again very soon!!!!

 

[casslarrabee225]

One of my females was sitting on 19 eggs so I brought 6 inside and left her with 13. 19 was kind of a big number for her, although she sat on them all just fine once they hatched she might have had a hard time keeping them together. lol!

It's very sad when it gets so close to the hatch when something goes wrong. Especially when that was the only egg I had in there. But I've got 6 fertile and healthy ducks growing in the incubator now. My odds are pretty good!