Duck still alive at 33 days, not muscovy

[MommaDarth]

I just wanted to make a post because everything I read here said that what I just experienced was impossible. I had duck eggs that are without a doubt that day 33 and have not hatched. I knew one was alive the other I had not seen move in two days. I knew they weren’t Muscovy ducks. Every single thing that I read said that it was not possible for them to still be alive at day 33 so the one that I see moving OK I let him go the other one I decide to check out and see if it’s malpositioned. Because I’ve read on here that malpositioning can be due to genetics. Imagine my surprise and horror when I open up this little guy who hasn’t moved in two days despite candling it multiple times a day...trying noise..light...trying everything. I open it up and here’s this perfect little chick with a whole of a lot of yolk still attached who starts quacking at me and then dies. So for crying out loud anybody who says that the ducks cannot be alive pass this point or whatever if they don’t stink leave them where they are. And I’ve now denied the one ducky that I have left it’s sibling and I feel like an absolute monster.

If I would’ve seen one post any post that said anything about the baby still possibly being alive at 33 days when they’re not Muskovy ducks I would’ve done things very differently please please please just take your time and make sure that you don’t make a mistake like I did.

Triggers ahead because I’m about to post a picture of this beautiful perfectly formed with a hell of a lot of yolk still attached duck

 

[HollowOfWisps]

I just wanted to make a post because everything I read here said that what I just experienced was impossible. I had duck eggs that are without a doubt that day 33 and have not hatched. I knew one was alive the other I had not seen move in two days. I knew they weren’t Muscovy ducks. Every single thing that I read said that it was not possible for them to still be alive at day 33 so the one that I see moving OK I let him go the other one I decide to check out and see if it’s malpositioned. Because I’ve read on here that malpositioning can be due to genetics. Imagine my surprise and horror when I open up this little guy who hasn’t moved in two days despite candling it multiple times a day...trying noise..light...trying everything. I open it up and here’s this perfect little chick with a whole of a lot of yolk still attached who starts quacking at me and then dies. So for crying out loud anybody who says that the ducks cannot be alive pass this point or whatever if they don’t stink leave them where they are. And I’ve now denied the one ducky that I have left it’s sibling and I feel like an absolute monster.

If I would’ve seen one post any post that said anything about the baby still possibly being alive at 33 days when they’re not Muskovy ducks I would’ve done things very differently please please please just take your time and make sure that you don’t make a mistake like I did.

Triggers ahead because I’m about to post a picture of this beautiful perfectly formed with a hell of a lot of yolk still attached duck

Did you have an analog hygrometer and thermometer that were calibrated inside the incubator? If the temperature and humidity are off it will delay the hatch. Especially if the temperature dips to low point throughout the incubation period. For example power outages or the temp dropping even into the mid to low 90's. What happened to your duckling isn't impossible, but I can tell you now that your temperature at the very least was not consistently holding at the right temperature.

 

[quackingdom]

Sorry the duckling didn't make it.

despite candling it multiple times a day...trying noise..light...trying everything

Did you try float testing?

If I would’ve seen one post any post that said anything about the baby still possibly being alive at 33 days

I searched BYC and did find a couple threads of ducklings still being alive on day 33:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hatching-duck-eggs-help.769305/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/2-3-day-old-ducklings-first-time-owner.1479678/

This one was still alive at day 35:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/overdue-saxony-ducks.887770/

But it's definitely very rare and signifies that the incubation conditions were not right.

please please please just take your time and make sure that you don’t make a mistake like I did.

I agree, and I want to add that I think that if someone is opening up an egg, just open up the air cell at first. That way you won't kill it if it's still alive.

Also, I'm not sure, but to me, that duckling doesn't look normal or at least not ready to hatch. I wouldn't be surprised if it had never hatched even if you left it alone.

 

[MommaDarth]

Did you have an analog hygrometer and thermometer that were calibrated inside the incubator? If the temperature and humidity are off it will delay the hatch. Especially if the temperature especially dips to low point throughout the incubation period. For example power outages or the temp dropping even into the mid to low 90's. What happened to your duckling isn't impossible, but I can tell you now that your temperature at the very least was not consistently holding at the right temperature.

Hello. No. I just have a cheapie incubator off of Amazon. No humidity or anything. I have been doing the humidity on my own, which I know isn’t the best. Do you have any idea just how delayed ducks can be? For example, what is the record for longest incubation?
My other one is still alive and kicking, but it’s day 34 and still no internal pip. When I play the noise of other ducks hatching and peeping the egg starts moving like crazy, but it’s just not getting out.

 

[MommaDarth]

Sorry the duckling didn't make it.


Did you try float testing?

I searched BYC and did find a couple threads of ducklings still being alive on day 33:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hatching-duck-eggs-help.769305/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/2-3-day-old-ducklings-first-time-owner.1479678/

This one was still alive at day 35:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/overdue-saxony-ducks.887770/

But it's definitely very rare and signifies that the incubation conditions were not right.

I agree, and I want to add that I think that if someone is opening up an egg, just open up the air cell at first. That way you won't kill it if it's still alive.

Also, I'm not sure, but to me, that duckling doesn't look normal or at least not ready to hatch. I wouldn't be surprised if it had never hatched even if you left it alone.

Thank you for the links.
It is so strange. This one was developing faster than the other initially, but then just seemed to stall out. No movement, yet was still alive, apparently. I barely slept last night because the image of that duck doing its silent quack and then dying kept popping into my head.

Poor, beautiful baby. The name was to be Sigmund Freud (Siggy) because Freud was a “quack”...I’m a behavioral psychologist. Anyway, I hope “Lucky” (short for Lucky Duck) makes it.

 

[MommaDarth]

A little background. I live on an island and my backyard is the Detroit river. Momma duck laid her eggs in our driveway bushes (picture a circular driveway with bushes and trees in the middle). One day, maybe 4 days later, I noticed 2 of the 8 eggs were broken. I picked up the broken shells hoping to thwart predators.

The next day all but 3 remained. I walked onto my dock and found a dead momma floating (could have been a boat or overly amorous males that killed mom). At this point I review my nest cam a see mom never came back, but a raccoon did. At this point I gathered the remaining eggs and order an incubator from Amazon. It arrives the very next day and I put the eggs in it.

After I candled for the first time and saw 3 heart beats/pulsating beings I was hooked. Then one just stopped developing. It turned all weird and yellow inside. Discovered the float test and it failed so I chucked it. The remaining 2 seemed great until on day 28 nothing was happening. Anyway, now it’s day 34 and here we are. Just the one baby left.

 

[MommaDarth]

Sorry the duckling didn't make it.


Did you try float testing?

I searched BYC and did find a couple threads of ducklings still being alive on day 33:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/hatching-duck-eggs-help.769305/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/2-3-day-old-ducklings-first-time-owner.1479678/

This one was still alive at day 35:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/overdue-saxony-ducks.887770/

But it's definitely very rare and signifies that the incubation conditions were not right.

I agree, and I want to add that I think that if someone is opening up an egg, just open up the air cell at first. That way you won't kill it if it's still alive.

Also, I'm not sure, but to me, that duckling doesn't look normal or at least not ready to hatch. I wouldn't be surprised if it had never hatched even if you left it alone.

That 3rd link you posted is very relevant to what I was thinking. I’m sure it happens, these very late hatches, but most people give up. If I had 40 eggs in a very expensive incubator and some hadn’t hatched at day 30+ the cost benefit analysis would go like this: do I give these remaining eggs a chance to survive or do I chuck them? Since the most likely scenario (according to prevailing wisdom) is they are dead, I’m risking a nasty egg explosion in my very expensive incubator. No thanks.

In this case it’s 3 eggs. I don’t have back ups and this situation is rare, but I’ve got a lot invested now. I already have the warmer, the bedding, the food, the hundred hours I’ve spent trying to learn about them, etc.

So not the norm.

 

[MommaDarth]

One more thing before I have to go be a parent I am counting day 1 as 24 hours after I incubated the eggs, not from when momma duck laid them. So they could be even older for all I know.

 

[Stormiek]

Poor baby.. im so sorry that youve had to experience this I can only imagine.

 

[Yardmom]

The one you opened does not look like it was ready to hatch. If the other was developing at the same rate it will still be a few days. Was the mother a domestic duck?