I need help with duck eggs after tragic loss of Mama Duck

[Miss Lydia]

Update?

 

[tammytuaw]

Well, that was a whirlwind of a few days.. I was hoping for some guidance through the process as you can always read and study lots of material, but sometimes I just need to ask questions.

After being up almost 20 hours/day since Saturday between long work hours and these eggs, I need a break!

The results are ALL 10 EGGS HAVE NOW HATCHED AS OF 11:00 PM THURSDAY EVENING!!! YAY!!! And 7 of the 10 have already gone to a wildlife rehabilitation center and nature reserve. The last 3 will go tomorrow.

Here are the play by play details - The first ones internally pipped Sunday with no incubator and a really horrible week with temperatures too hot and then too cool with bare minimum turning of the eggs.

Sunday evening, I finally go a hold of an incubator and raised the temperature gradually from their 97 degree surface temperature to 99 degrees. I didn't go higher than that since they had already been 97-99 for several days prior. I also started the humidity and took it to 65% right away. Then after 12 - 16 hours, I got it up to 70% or more. Many times over the last few days it was 78 - 80%.

I researched, read, and watched videos over and over again during those few days. I didn't want to forget anything just in case.

I woke up Tuesday am to find the first egg hatched! Then at 10:00, one was heaving pretty heavy and the external pip didn't make any progress overnight. So I popped open the top of the air sac and there he was, stuffed with very little air sac at all. I peeled egg shell very carefully and was able to get the upper part of his body out and he pretty much stuck in there and could not move due to his size. HE WAS HUGE!! His feet were at the top of the egg as well and he was happy to get out.

The next 5 went as normal but it was really hard waiting. I put safety holes in 4 of the next 5 as they were internally pipped for quite a while without an external pip. I was worried the shell would be too hard after no control on humidity during incubation time.

The last 3 eggs were the ones that looked very odd on Sunday like they were already gone. small air sac, no movement but I thought I'd give them a chance. Sunday evening and Monday, their shape on the inside changed after they got into the incubator and humidity.

They all took a long time to pip out, and one ended up in an accident with a broken shell on the bottom portion of the egg in several places. I was pretty upset. I managed to repair the shell and hope for the best. The chick came out fine 10 hours later. I did have to help with the umbilical cord though. I made sure to dry it well before snipping.

Number 9 struggling and sideways in the egg. It couldn't move into it's next position after the the internal pip. I opened up over the air sac, which was not just the top, but the side for this one. His membrane had a long way to go, so I kept him in a plastic cup in the incubator with paper towel and kept his open shell area and membrane dampened. I used little dabs of coconut oil with a q-tip. Checking every two hours and the humidity I kept at 80% for this one. When he finally finished the yolk absorption and blood return, he turned around in the egg and went upside down in the shell, the outside membrane turned hard and I had to help him turn and open up some more egg for him to finally come out. I let him do the work, but had to open up a spot for him to breath. He did come out sticky, so he had two baths with lots of humidity the first few hours. He is nice a puffy now and doing well.

Sorry for such a long update, but since I didn't keep everyone updated as I went, there was a lot to update on.

Without all of the information on sites like this to research and watch (videos helped) I would not have been able to save 1/2 of the ten. With all of this information, I was able to save all of them. All Ten are healthy and acting silly! and they have a place to go too!!

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

Fantastic job!

 

[Miss Lydia]

That’s amazing Congrats!! You sure went above an beyond.

 

[I love my ducks34]

Wow, I'm very impressed!!!!! Good job!!

 

[LaFemmeKatia]

Well, that was a whirlwind of a few days.. I was hoping for some guidance through the process as you can always read and study lots of material, but sometimes I just need to ask questions.

After being up almost 20 hours/day since Saturday between long work hours and these eggs, I need a break!

The results are ALL 10 EGGS HAVE NOW HATCHED AS OF 11:00 PM THURSDAY EVENING!!! YAY!!! And 7 of the 10 have already gone to a wildlife rehabilitation center and nature reserve. The last 3 will go tomorrow.

Here are the play by play details - The first ones internally pipped Sunday with no incubator and a really horrible week with temperatures too hot and then too cool with bare minimum turning of the eggs.

Sunday evening, I finally go a hold of an incubator and raised the temperature gradually from their 97 degree surface temperature to 99 degrees. I didn't go higher than that since they had already been 97-99 for several days prior. I also started the humidity and took it to 65% right away. Then after 12 - 16 hours, I got it up to 70% or more. Many times over the last few days it was 78 - 80%.

I researched, read, and watched videos over and over again during those few days. I didn't want to forget anything just in case.

I woke up Tuesday am to find the first egg hatched! Then at 10:00, one was heaving pretty heavy and the external pip didn't make any progress overnight. So I popped open the top of the air sac and there he was, stuffed with very little air sac at all. I peeled egg shell very carefully and was able to get the upper part of his body out and he pretty much stuck in there and could not move due to his size. HE WAS HUGE!! His feet were at the top of the egg as well and he was happy to get out.

The next 5 went as normal but it was really hard waiting. I put safety holes in 4 of the next 5 as they were internally pipped for quite a while without an external pip. I was worried the shell would be too hard after no control on humidity during incubation time.

The last 3 eggs were the ones that looked very odd on Sunday like they were already gone. small air sac, no movement but I thought I'd give them a chance. Sunday evening and Monday, their shape on the inside changed after they got into the incubator and humidity.

They all took a long time to pip out, and one ended up in an accident with a broken shell on the bottom portion of the egg in several places. I was pretty upset. I managed to repair the shell and hope for the best. The chick came out fine 10 hours later. I did have to help with the umbilical cord though. I made sure to dry it well before snipping.

Number 9 struggling and sideways in the egg. It couldn't move into it's next position after the the internal pip. I opened up over the air sac, which was not just the top, but the side for this one. His membrane had a long way to go, so I kept him in a plastic cup in the incubator with paper towel and kept his open shell area and membrane dampened. I used little dabs of coconut oil with a q-tip. Checking every two hours and the humidity I kept at 80% for this one. When he finally finished the yolk absorption and blood return, he turned around in the egg and went upside down in the shell, the outside membrane turned hard and I had to help him turn and open up some more egg for him to finally come out. I let him do the work, but had to open up a spot for him to breath. He did come out sticky, so he had two baths with lots of humidity the first few hours. He is nice a puffy now and doing well.

Sorry for such a long update, but since I didn't keep everyone updated as I went, there was a lot to update on.

Without all of the information on sites like this to research and watch (videos helped) I would not have been able to save 1/2 of the ten. With all of this information, I was able to save all of them. All Ten are healthy and acting silly! and they have a place to go too!!

You are a hero! Great job saving the lives of ten ducklings with no previous experience, and little time to figure it out!