Thread formerly known as Hatch day is today

[Amykins]

I just can't believe that it made it all this way and then died...that's two out of two eggs that died on my watch.

My fiancee said if this happened we could try again with a better quality incubator...I know that's the reason this happened. I just couldn't keep the temps stable. But even so, that one little guy made it all that way, I thought he'd be okay...

Ugh.

 

[qwackers]

That's such a shame. I know it's hard but try not to best yourself up over it. See I only used a homemade incubator made from a Styrofoam box with a pc fan and a car light bulb that was hooked up to a thermostat. But then I know call ducks are notoriously difficult to hatch. I wish I knew more about them so I could have helped.

 

[ChickiMomma15]

so an update i had 4 chicks hatch in 6 minutes

 

[ducklover87]

I've never tried dry hatching with ducks, but I've heard it isn't as successful. Of course, our relative humidity here makes it somewhat counter-productive to try.

Are your eggs perhaps from first season layers? I know my first-year layers gave me a bunch of late quitters earlier this season. When I finally got a hatchling, I was so thrilled!

They turned a year old back in march but they consistently laid eggs every day since they started back in august of last year.

 

[hokankai]

I have to dry hatch all my eggs because the relative humidity is about 50% in the house (Pacific Northwest). I've heard it can be quite successful! I'm dry-hatching my shipped duck eggs and out of 14 that were developing I still have 11 due in a week and their aircells look great!

 

[qwackers]

so an update i had 4 chicks hatch in 6 minutes

Whoop whoop, pictures please!

 

[Amykins]

That's such a shame. I know it's hard but try not to best yourself up over it. See I only used a homemade incubator made from a Styrofoam box with a pc fan and a car light bulb that was hooked up to a thermostat. But then I know call ducks are notoriously difficult to hatch. I wish I knew more about them so I could have helped.

Me too, Quack. I've been inconsolable all morning.

Worst part is, it was fully formed, membrane was nice and bright, nothing seemed out of place at all. It was so tiny, its little bill was open and its eyes were closed. I wish I hadn't waited to intervene. I wish I'd gone with my gut and cracked open the shell earlier when it may have had a chance. I'll never know now.

I can't even try again until next year since my breeder says he's done laying for the rest of the year.

 

[Deleted member 94844]

Bad news...I candled the egg and saw that the veins had disintegrated and there was no longer any movement. It's gone.

I'm so sorry, Amykins.

It is so hard to know what to do... everyone says not to touch during lockdown, but sometimes your instincts say otherwise. I saw a dark spot developing on Nemo's shell and intervened after his external pip failed to progress for a day. I chipped him out overnight. Half his head was swelled from the bacterial infection and he was covered in sticky goo, so he never would have made it on his own. That said, he can be a real mental case sometimes, so I wonder if nature might have selected him for termination with good cause. LOL.

No matter, don't blame yourself. Everything happens for a reason. Your next successful try will be the right one

 

[qwackers]

Me too, Quack. I've been inconsolable all morning.

Worst part is, it was fully formed, membrane was nice and bright, nothing seemed out of place at all. It was so tiny, its little bill was open and its eyes were closed. I wish I hadn't waited to intervene. I wish I'd gone with my gut and cracked open the shell earlier when it may have had a chance. I'll never know now.

I can't even try again until next year since my breeder says he's done laying for the rest of the year.

There must be another breeder somewhere near you? Poor lil thing. Yeah gut feelings are clever things sometimes. But we learn eh. Keep your chin up, I'm off to sleep now, it's late here x x x x

 

[Amykins]

There must be another breeder somewhere near you? Poor lil thing. Yeah gut feelings are clever things sometimes. But we learn eh. Keep your chin up, I'm off to sleep now, it's late here x x x x

No, he's the only one in WA state. There's another I've been in contact with but she's all the way out in Illinois and I'm not even sure if she still has any left for this season.

What really gets me is Dan (the breeder) knew that his calls needed help hatching but never told me until it was too late. He breeds show quality so their bills are just too small to crack the shell. If I'd only kept candling and watched its activity rather than locking the incubator and walking away I might still have a baby.

I know, I know...hindsight is a real killer. I'm still going to try and get a call duck this season, if only I could find someone that had viable eggs. But this late into summer I doubt that I will. :/