What causes developing fertile eggs to die?

[PigTheChicken]

Hello, I have recently had a couple of ducklings hatch after incubating some fertile eggs. Four weeks ago I incubated 9 duck eggs (Pekin and Khaki campbell), after a week I candled them and 7 out of the 9 had started developing. Once a week I would candle the eggs. I candled them for the last time on Monday, 3 days before their hatch date, when I went to put them in lockdown in the incubator and 7 of them were doing really well and were still alive. But when it came to their due date, only 2 hatched. A couple of days after they were meant to hatch I candled the remaining eggs to check if they were still alive and I couldn't see any veins anymore.
I was just wondering what could have caused them to die?

 

[Albert the Saxony]

Sorry to hear about the eggs that didn’t hatch. Perhaps, it could have been a ruptured air cell or maybe the eggs allowed bad bacteria to take over the egg, like through a crack or something. At least you had two hatch, I just had two runners hatch out yesterday. Cute little guys!

 

[PigTheChicken]

Sorry to hear about the eggs that didn’t hatch. Perhaps, it could have been a ruptured air cell or maybe the eggs allowed bad bacteria to take over the egg, like through a crack or something. At least you had two hatch, I just had two runners hatch out yesterday. Cute little guys!

Thanks for replying, and congrats on you ducklings! Aren't they just the cutest!!

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

There are a number of possible reasons the ducklings quit before hatching, as this troubleshooting guide illustrates. If your incubation settings were appropriate and stable throughout, I'd look at the health of the breeder flock.

Enjoy those littles!

 

[PigTheChicken]

There are a number of possible reasons the ducklings quit before hatching, as this troubleshooting guide illustrates. If your incubation settings were appropriate and stable throughout, I'd look at the health of the breeder flock.

Enjoy those littles!

Thanks for your reply. I bought the eggs and got them delivered from a different breeder's stock. I was surprised they even started developing as I had got them delivered from a different state from where I live! Also thank you for the info you've sent, it's really useful and I'll keep it in mind for next time I incubate!

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Thanks for your reply. I bought the eggs and got them delivered from a different breeder's stock. I was surprised they even started developing as I had got them delivered from a different state from where I live! Also thank you for the info you've sent, it's really useful and I'll keep it in mind for next time I incubate!

YVW. I've found that late quitters aren't uncommon with shipped eggs - the shipping stress can be really hard on them.

 

[Tankueray]

Keep in mind that a 100% hatch rate is not how it works in nature. We can manipulate the eggs and their environment to achieve a nearly perfect hatch every time, but that artificial intervention can allow less fit organisms to survive to pass along their genetic material later. They would be abandoned or not hatch in nature, preventing a decline in the overall fitness of the line.

 

[heatherrhodus1425]

Hello, I have recently had a couple of ducklings hatch after incubating some fertile eggs. Four weeks ago I incubated 9 duck eggs (Pekin and Khaki campbell), after a week I candled them and 7 out of the 9 had started developing. Once a week I would candle the eggs. I candled them for the last time on Monday, 3 days before their hatch date, when I went to put them in lockdown in the incubator and 7 of them were doing really well and were still alive. But when it came to their due date, only 2 hatched. A couple of days after they were meant to hatch I candled the remaining eggs to check if they were still alive and I couldn't see any veins anymore.
I was just wondering what could have caused them to die?

I had the same thing happen twice . but none lived . please put pictures I'd love to see I have pekins and a mallard and Indian runners and golden 300s. At the time I only had pekins but the eggs had trouble in the 360 they were too big

 

[Titantherooster]

There are a number of possible reasons the ducklings quit before hatching, as this troubleshooting guide illustrates. If your incubation settings were appropriate and stable throughout, I'd look at the health of the breeder flock.

Enjoy those littles!

How does one know the health of the breeder flock? What would you be looking for as suspect that they are unfit to be breeders?

 

[heatherrhodus1425]

I found out what I did wrong I had incorrect information on the incubation of mallard derived breeds