The Poultry Keeper

tracey061196 · Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 6:42 pm Post subject: 2 airsacs, 25th day and 1/2 dead

I put 14 ducks eggs in my incubator and they are due out tuesday (24th). I candeled them and all 14 were fertile.

Today is the last time for turning, so i thought i would use my buddy machine which detects the heartbeat just to make sure all is ok. 7 of them had heartbeats the other 7 had nothing. I candled them and some of them had airsacs top and bottom ?????.

I did crack open the ones with no heartbeat and inside was a formed duckling, i would say thay they would of die about 2-5 days ago.

The drakes i have are 1 white campbell and 1 cayuga. The 7 dead ones 5 of them were black ducklings.

Pekinout · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 1155 Location: Cornwall

Sorry to hear that. I've had duck eggs with dual air sacs and they've hatched ok. Could be any reason that the 7 with no heart beat died. Humidity, genetics.

Fingers crossed for the remaining 7.

tracey061196 · Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 9:12 am Post subject:

i forgot to say, yesterday when i was sorting the eggs out ready for hatch day (tuesday) i could hear this chirping, i looked around thinking i was going to see a bird had got in the room or the window was open. Well no it was coming from one of the eggs.

This morning one of the eggs has a raised crack on it so the duckling is on its way (almost 3 days early)

EGirl · Joined: 01 Nov 2007 Posts: 1238 Location: Dublin, Ireland

Hi Tracey, the early chick combined with the early deaths might suggest temp is too high or humidity is too high or both. Just my thoughts, have been reading up. Hope the others hatch ok.
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vanessa · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 1267 Location: Correze

I agree about the early hatch (and 3 days early is early!); temperature too high or possibly too high humidity earlier on.

Hope the rest hatch ok.

tracey061196 · Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 9:24 pm Post subject:

Hi all

We have a office building next to our house and i keep all my animal feed, shavings, etc its about 40ft x 20ft. I put the incubator in there (not done before) I would agree i think about the temperature as we have had some hot days but i have had the windows open on the latch (opened but no-one could get in) and some days the temperature has raised a bit but not overly high. Humity - i never put water in.

Well i havnt had any hatch but 2 of them have cracks and 2 more are wobbling.

Fingers crossed i hope they will be ok. Will keep you all upto date