Help what to do with egg peeping but not pipped?!

[L0rraine]

The final egg in my hatch of seven (six were out and healthy by this morning) is still peeping, but has NO pips. Momma duck is still sitting on it, but what do I do tomorrow if there are still no pips. If I should interfere? does anyone have any cautionary tips? - my one and only previous attempt at helping a duckling out ended in heartbreak.

 

[panner123]

Tomorrow when you get up, check on the little ones. Go to church, when you get home check on them again. By that time the last one should have hatched. If not go fishing. If the last one still has not hatched, go to bed. It will be here aventually. I try my best to let nature take is course. Remmenber all the eggs were not laid on the same day. If the last one is not going to hatch, mama will take all the others out and not set on the egg. She is the one that knows best what is happening.

 

[jhfields]

Like they said, let mother nature do its thing. great advice.

 

[12 Acres]

Excellent advice. Mama knows best!

 

[Larry Waughon]

It is a tough call, If you help to early the baby usually dies, but if the shell is to hard for him to crack he will also die. Good luck! Let us know the good news.

 

[Akane]

If they go more than 24hrs with no progress on any remaining eggs after the rest hatch then I usually start to help. I start with just tapping a hole in the wide end to see if the chick is still alive. If there's a hole they can breathe and at least with chicken chicks they should live even if they can't get out. If they continue to make no progress I'll slowly remove bits of shell until I can see the membrane and check if all the blood is absorbed. If it is they may be ready to hatch and if not then they need to wait another 12hrs at least. The problem is if you make more than a tiny pinhole you need to cover with a damp paper towel to keep the membrane moist or they'll just get stuck. In an incubator not a problem but under a broody it might not work.

I have never had a chick successfully hatch if it's been more than 24hrs after the others hatch (not just that it's been sitting there 24hrs) with no progress. Even if left for days they eventually die. At that point I either help or pretty much count them out even if I leave the incubator running. I know others have had chicks hatch days late but I've yet to see it.