Incubating please help

[casie]

So after 18 hours of little to no progress, I decided to help this little one out. This ducks egg sells are lit cement compared to my others and I was really worried I would lose this little guy too. I stayed up all night and slowly over 12 or so hours helped this little guy out. I read everyone I could find on assisting out of the shell. It was really scary but it's now been 24 hours since this little guy hatched and is doing good. I made it a brooder box and put the starter feed that I got from the feed store in there and a little container of water. I put its little beak in the water and in the food I can't tell if it's getting any of either but It is really trying to eat the food for sure. What else should I be doing to help this little guy make it?!

 

[Amiga]

The first 24 hours or so, I believe the littles run on the absorbed yolk in their bellies - so water, and a temperature about 90F, safe, no drafts, but decent ventilation.

For a boost, you could give Gro-Gel. Otherwise, just good duckling care - time to read the Raising Ducklings Sticky now!

 

[casie]

 

[Lacrystol]

Congradulations, What a cutie.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

So sweet! I'm really glad it worked out well! I haven't had time to read BYC for about a week, so I'm trying to catch up.

 

[casie]

So far I have managed to hatch 4 lovely ducks over the course of 2 weeks. I had one left in the incubator that when last candled was moving around in the shell. I went to check and see if it had piped yet, I do that 4 or 5 times a day, i couldn't see a pip. On my way out of the room I heard frantic peeping so I opened the incubator to check and found that not only had this egg pipped but it did so on the wrong end ( the pointed end) and upside down, on the side touching the bottom of the incubator. The membrane was brown and dry and I couldn't see the beak so I began to assist. I was frantic, and I think I broke away too much of the shell. I'm sure I did everything wrong. But it was still breathing so I wrapped it in a wet paper towel and put it back in the incubator. I checked an hour later and found a bold spot on the paper towl about the size of a dime. I opened the incubator and found that it had popes it's leg through the membrane on the opposite end of the shell and it looked like it tore trough the membrane. I carefully cut the membrane back between the beak and the foot to stop further tearing. There looks to be a blood clot the size of a pea near the navel. I returned it to the incubator and an hour later still breathing, should I be doing anything else to help!? I'm afraid I killed it trying to fix the help the breech baby.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

So far I have managed to hatch 4 lovely ducks over the course of 2 weeks. I had one left in the incubator that when last candled was moving around in the shell. I went to check and see if it had piped yet, I do that 4 or 5 times a day, i couldn't see a pip. On my way out of the room I heard frantic peeping so I opened the incubator to check and found that not only had this egg pipped but it did so on the wrong end ( the pointed end) and upside down, on the side touching the bottom of the incubator. The membrane was brown and dry and I couldn't see the beak so I began to assist. I was frantic, and I think I broke away too much of the shell. I'm sure I did everything wrong. But it was still breathing so I wrapped it in a wet paper towel and put it back in the incubator. I checked an hour later and found a bold spot on the paper towl about the size of a dime. I opened the incubator and found that it had popes it's leg through the membrane on the opposite end of the shell and it looked like it tore trough the membrane. I carefully cut the membrane back between the beak and the foot to stop further tearing. There looks to be a blood clot the size of a pea near the navel. I returned it to the incubator and an hour later still breathing, should I be doing anything else to help!? I'm afraid I killed it trying to fix the help the breech baby.

How is it doing now? I just now saw this post. If it still looks like that, can you post a pic of it? That sounds more like a prematurely detached umbilical cord, but I'm not sure without a pic. You can dip a qtip in Bacitracin and gently roll it over the area if it's what I'm thinking it is.

 

[casie]

 

[JadeComputerGal]

That doesn't look as bad as I expected. I would put some Bacitracin on it by carefully rolling it over the area with a q-tip a couple of times per day. You also need to make sure you're keeping it in a clean environment so it doesn't get infected before it heals.

 

[casie]

Should I not put this little cutie in the brood box with te other 4?