Strange question about ducklings hatching

[gritsar]

This has to do with a TV show more than anything.

Last night I watched a new show called "Food Tech". It's a program about where different restaurant foods come from and how they are processed.
The subject was chinese food and more specifically, pekin (sp?) duck. At the duck hatchery, while showing the show host the incubators, they allowed the host to finish opening the eggshell of a duckling that had barely pipped or zipped or whatever you want to call it - can you tell I don't know a thing about incubating?

My question is this. Wouldn't that kill the duckling? I thought it was a big no-no to help them come out of their shell?

This has been bugging me. One of those things that keeps the Grity up at night.

 

[xxSonja]

From what i understand you can really harm the chick if you remove it from the egg to quickly, something about the membrane & bleeding out?? I dont know exactly so it will be interesting to find out from someone much more experienced than me.

 

[Wifezilla]

If the membrane was absorbed it wont hurt the duck.

 

[duckyfromoz]

It could very well kill the duckling. Peeling the shell before the duckling has fully obsorbed the yolk and blood from the veins could cause fatal bleeding.

The egg may have been specifically chosen for the purpose of the TV show - or maybe being a hatchery for 1000s of bird that end up on the table they didnt care about the possible death of one duckling. Im sure they have their reasons in a hatchery for the practice- but I no longer help any ducklings hatch as it can be a sign of weakness- and natures way of culling those with defects if they are not strong enough to hatch on their own.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Thanks Wife. The poor thing just looked so weak and helpless, it bothered me.

BTW, on another program about food - Life After People (and what would happen to the grocery stores) they revealed which food on the grocery store shelves would still be around thousands of years from now.
Can you guess which one it was?


I'm sure you can. You're so smart thataway.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
That's kinda what I figured. They had 10s of thousands of ducklings that were going to be slaughtered in 6 weeks anyhow. They really didn't give a flying monkey's butt about that one.

 

[xxSonja]

Quote:
umm would that be eggs?
ETA not that i even buy my eggs from the grocery store

once you go fresh you never go back

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
umm would that be eggs?

Nope, but it is a natural food; largely unprocessed (by humans).

 

[TriciaHowe]

I saw that episode! I love that show and have them all recorded on the DVR. I know what the answer is but I won't ruin it for you

It was a very surprising answer!
BTW I also would never unzip a duckling especially since mine take about 36-48 hrs from pip to fully out....

 

[1lpoock]

Was the egg being used for Balut...it might have been over in China. Thats where they let the egg incubate for almost the full 28 days and then they eat what is inside of it.