PoultryTalk.com

We just tried our first hatch of Cayuga ducklings in the incubator, only 1 hatched from 9 eggs. 2 were rotten eggs and the others were all late deaths. Fully formed ducklings that just didnt hatch!?! The little duckling was doing really well but yesterday stopped feeding and died about an hour ago today. No sign of any trauma or any deformaties. My theory is that my daughter and husband trapsing half the village in to hold their new ducklings with out washing their hands etc introduced infection and he just wasn't strong enough. Any thoughts?? From the same incubator we have hatched 3 runners and 1 buff duck. A very poor hatch rate compared to usual. However they seem to be doing very well. Touch wood.
Any advice greatly recieved? I know ducks are generally harder to incubate than chickens but are Cayugas particularly hard?
Ressa

iv got 3 x cayugas, my inc was slightly to hot i think. i only got 4 alsburys and 1 x cross breed as well but i did put in 25 eggs but i found they are quite hardy.
were you feeding on non medicated chick crumb as not ment to eat the medicated stuff
if they were picking up all time is it possible they got cold too long.

iv got 3 x cayugas, my inc was slightly to hot i think. i only got 4 alsburys and 1 x cross breed as well but i did put in 25 eggs but i found they are quite hardy.
were you feeding on non medicated chick crumb as not ment to eat the medicated stuff
if they were picking up all time is it possible they got cold too long.

It was non- medicated natural chick crumb, maybe I should have tried duck specific chick crumb. I am desperate to have a couple of cayuga's!

i tried to get that and was told no such stuff it was just chick crumb so dont know if can get it

I can get it from http://www.smallholderfeed.co.uk/ which is ironically where I get my chick feed from. They are really good, the mill is just down the road from me so I am very lucky. Wish I had realised they did duck starter crumbs sooner.

Did you candle the eggs?? Also if the eggs are rooten you can smell that in the incubator. The gases admitted most properly killed the other ducklings. Rotten eggs emitt poisonous gases, so as soon as you can smell somthing rotton, locate the egg or eggs and discard it as soon as possible.

Did you candle the eggs?? Also if the eggs are rooten you can smell that in the incubator. The gases admitted most properly killed the other ducklings. Rotten eggs emitt poisonous gases, so as soon as you can smell somthing rotton, locate the egg or eggs and discard it as soon as possible.

not really appropriate

Have deleted the spammers post - thanks daniellesdogs