Old fashioned Broody thread for ducks 2013 edition

[Buckas]

If not full term pretty close to it. Does it usually smell like that (rotten) when they hatch?

Francine has not left the nest today so I have no update as to how the other two eggs are. When I candled them yesterday I couldn't see a single bit of light coming through either egg so I don't know about the air sac. Those eggs looked stuffed full of dark matter and wet feathers without the light on them and just solid when I candled them.

 

[Miss Lydia]

If not full term pretty close to it. Does it usually smell like that (rotten) when they hatch?

Francine has not left the nest today so I have no update as to how the other two eggs are. When I candled them yesterday I couldn't see a single bit of light coming through either egg so I don't know about the air sac. Those eggs looked stuffed full of dark matter and wet feathers without the light on them and just solid when I candled them.

Not usually I've never noticed a smell like that when mine have hatched under mama, Oh I hope this means something is going on under there. she will stay firm once hatching begins. Keep us updated.

 

[Buckas]

This is what I found yesterday, Francine had pushed it from her nest. Today I have discovered another one just like it. I can't get to it though, she appears to still have an egg under her and is "threatening" to step on it if I reach for the dead one. What is going on? Is she killing them as they try to hatch?

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

That's really strange looking Buckas. I'm looking at your pic on my phone screen, so I can't make it bigger, maybe I'm missing something. But that egg looks odd to me. All that darkness... I do not normally see that on hatch here. When I'm looking at the pic, what is poking out of the egg at 12:00? is it dried blood? Is that a head and bill between 7:00 and 6:00? Looks like the membrane is there, dried out. That makes me think something went wrong with humidity.

Aww I am sorry that your hatch turned out like this.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'm having a hard time figuring out what I'm looking at too, can you actually see a duckling? So sorry about this and really hard to say what is going on there.

 

[Buckas]

Whats poking outta the shell at 12 is just feathers. the duckling is black and I should have removed that leaf off of the lower left side before taking the pic because that's the babies head. close to 8 o'clock is the ducklings bill poking out from under that darn leaf. Everything was smashed flat and the egg shell looks soft with a bloody tinge to it. Of coarse all of it was dry but looked pliable. At about 7 o'clock is a foot. I would estimate that at least 3/4 of the egg was missing from the duckling. The egg I found this morning is the same, I thought maybe they were hatching and freakin' her out so she killed em or maybe she is smashing them accidentally?? Francine still hasn't budged a bit and now I can't even see the dead one she has it tucked up under her in her nest (I think). the last egg is still intact under her as far as I can tell.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

I'm sorry Buckas, but did you say whether or not your mom has had a successful hatch before? Most times, the shell is really intact, except where the embryo/duckling unzips its way out. If the shell is getting punctured somewhere else and it starts bleeding, well that's just not good... I don't think that is normal.
Your duckling embryos should pierce the internal membrane, then they'll start the tapping. This will cause a little tiny hole in the egg shell, and then the embryo/duckling rotates (that's what I think is the unzipping part). So then after the top say 1/3 or so of the egg is open, the embryo/duckling will push its way out with its feet. So there should be no bleeding spots toward the bottom of the egg for sure.

In my experience, there should be very little to zero blood during a healthy hatch. Did momma duck do it? maybe. Sometimes if the moms get really upset and start lashing around, it is possible for them to strike and break their own eggs. Are you totally positive you don't have snakes? I'm really not sure what else to tell you. There are just so many things that can go wrong with hatch. Are you going to let her try again? Again, I'm sorry. I know it is disappointing. I had 2 ducks on 2 nests back in late winter/early spring, neither of their nests had any that lived long.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Any suggestions for doing my Fall clean out of the deep litter while my KC continues to sit in the corner? I expect hatch by the end of Aug. so should I just wait for that and then move her then? Maybe Sweet PDZ plus another layer of straw for now?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Any suggestions for doing my Fall clean out of the deep litter while my KC continues to sit in the corner? I expect hatch by the end of Aug. so should I just wait for that and then move her then? Maybe Sweet PDZ plus another layer of straw for now?

I'd wait H, it's difficult enough just trying to do daily maintenance around my 4 broodies and they aren't even sitting on any eggs. How are your latest babies doing?

 

[Buckas]

At 4 o'clock this morning I awoke to Francine squawking. I ran out to her pen to find a skunk inside with her. I couldn't get to her the skunk was in between us and Francine couldn't get out!!! I had to go get my husband to help. We finally got the skunk to leave the pen but not before the damage was done. We brought Francine into the house, she is very bloody and I can't tell where she is bleeding from. I checked the nest this morning for the remainder egg and it too had "hatched" but died sometime last night?

Holly I think you might be onto something about the snakes. We do have bull snakes and rattlesnakes out where we live and Francine built her nest in the middle of an evergreen bush so I'm sure she has had some visitors, what you're thinking makes sense. This is Francine's first time to sit, I have read about using the plastic totes for nesting now and I am going to put some in the main pen just in case I have another duck get broody. I wish I had done that sooner, I was under the impression runners don't typically go broody(not under that impression anymore). I sure appreciate every ones help over the last week or so, I'm just sick about what has happend. When Francine recovers, if she wants to try again, I'm game but I'm not letting her nest outside of the main pen EVER again!