2 different times now I have had almost ALL my duck eggs form but never hatch! The first time I had 2 of them Pip but quit, and I checked all the eggs BOTH times and had perfect formed ducklings but DEAD. Anyone know what causes this? and what I can do to prevent it? Getting another dozen of duck eggs this weekend and DONT want it to happen again Also another question, The duck eggs this time will be with chicken eggs, when I knock it up to 70% humidity will that bother duck eggs? What HUMIDITY do you use/thinks works best for duck eggs?
I raise four colors of call ducks, and have had this to happen as well. The duck seemed weak and the inner membrane would dry causing the baby duck to suffocate. Monitor your humidity level and if the temp and humidity are fine, I am not sure what the problem is. In this case I generally will help them out of the egg by breaking the shell around their beak slightly and pulling a little bit of the membrane back. I will then check on them a few hours later and go form there. Hope this helps!
im not sure I completly understand.. You just crack the shell and membrane a lil? What day do you do that on for them to survive?
Watch your humidity, the chick is drying out. Do you mist the eggs every day or so when you turn them. Also I have been told to open the bator and let the eggs cool slightly like 5 min or so. Like when the momma duck or goose has left the nest for a swim...She comes back and drizzles the eggs with water as she turns them. What he is saying is when they have pipped the air sack, make sure they have a hole in the outer egg shell so they can breathe. if not they die quickly.
Quote:oh!! ok, will misting them bother the chicken eggs? and I checked and over 90% of the time they dont even pip the aircell. just die formed in the egg not doing anything
Duck eggs should be at 65% humidity so the lower humidity with chicken eggs wouldn't be very good, IMHO. Then you should bump the humidity up to 85% for hatch. If you're doing it lower than that, your eggs could be too dry and that could be why your ducks aren't hatching. I just hatched 7 Runners and I didn't mist any of my eggs. I was told to only mist Call duck eggs. Laurie
If it makes you feel any better rainplace, I had a baby that looked like this... and then 3 hours later he was dead. I have NO idea what happened to him. I wish I had an answer for you.
I always had good luck with misting every time I turned the eggs (Khaki/Mallard mutts) and handling as little as possible. I was told to wash my hands beforehand too, but I wasn't religious about that. I did pick off the pip so the duckies had a breathing hole, but it was more out of impatience than anything else. LOL Never heard of cooling eggs off, but it makes sense and seems widespread. Also interesting to note that I had great luck with this old round Hovabator from the '70s or '80s, no fan. I tried to hatch ducklings years later with a newer Hovabator with a fan; result was a very high death rate. Go figure.
This year before the barn burnt i was having trouble hatching duck and geese eggs I was told to take them out after (if remember right) the 10th day and let cool down for few mins.everyday until moved to the hatcher and mist i did so and had wonderful results.Almost 100% on the fertile ducks and (not real proud of) 50% on the geese but was way better then 00000.
Thanks all! but if I mist.. will misting hurt the chicken eggs? Ill have chickens and ducks in same incubator
