48 hrs after first pip. Should I intervene?

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I've helped the duck out of the shell. I realized she was stuck on the membrane and a hardened "string" of membrane was wrapped around her foot and neck rendering her unable to stretch her neck or push her foot out. She is weak but trying to use her legs and looks healthy. However- the yolk is still attached to her belly. So when she moves she is dragging around the shell.. I'm trying not to intervene much- should I take the shell and yolk attached to her belly off as she is dragging it behind her? It's been about 60 hours since her initial pip.

400
 
tatswell said:
I've helped the duck out of the shell. I realized she was stuck on the membrane and a hardened "string" of membrane was wrapped around her foot and neck rendering her unable to stretch her neck or push her foot out. She is weak but trying to use her legs and looks healthy. However- the yolk is still attached to her belly. So when she moves she is dragging around the shell.. I'm trying not to intervene much- should I take the shell and yolk attached to her belly off as she is dragging it behind her? It's been about 60 hours since her initial pip.

400
Click to expand...
Congrats on getting her out! I can't tell from the pic - is the yolk absorbed and there's just a connecting "thread" left or is there still some unabsorbed? @sumi provides guidance in this thread on handling an unabsorbed yolk scenario: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/791931/help-duckling-hatched-with-partially-absorbed-yolk-sack. The duckling still needs to absorb the remaining yolk if at all possible.
 
tatswell said:
I've helped the duck out of the shell. I realized she was stuck on the membrane and a hardened "string" of membrane was wrapped around her foot and neck rendering her unable to stretch her neck or push her foot out. She is weak but trying to use her legs and looks healthy. However- the yolk is still attached to her belly. So when she moves she is dragging around the shell.. I'm trying not to intervene much- should I take the shell and yolk attached to her belly off as she is dragging it behind her? It's been about 60 hours since her initial pip.

Click to expand...
That gooey looking stuff is what I call "egg gunk", it's not yolk. It will detach itself from the duckling's navel soon-soon. If needed I sometimes pinch it off, very carefully and not too close the baby's navel. Make 100% sure first that there is no blood vessels involved and that you don't accidentally pull or tug on the gunk.

The poor thing is probably very tired after the hatch. A few hours in a nice warm place to dry off and catch her breath should do her the world of good now. Congrats on the hatch btw!
 
Thank you for the help! This is my first and I really did not want to intervene but could not just let it go. It is peeping and head bobbing with an occasional scoot forward and lift of its head. I will wait for the gunk to separate and if it does not by this afternoon I'll do what I can to minimize it.
The other issue I'm concerned about is cleanliness- The water in the incubators trap is yellowish and I'm afraid of bacteria growing in the prime environment. But as you know, the moment I open that incubator the humidity drops fast! There are also two eggs in there that are pipping.
How do you clean between hatches?
 
Also thinking about it now- maybe it is not so bad to let her drag that shell around for a couple of hours? Could help strengthen her legs as she was unable to hatch herself?
 
tatswell said:
Thank you for the help! This is my first and I really did not want to intervene but could not just let it go. It is peeping and head bobbing with an occasional scoot forward and lift of its head. I will wait for the gunk to separate and if it does not by this afternoon I'll do what I can to minimize it.
The other issue I'm concerned about is cleanliness- The water in the incubators trap is yellowish and I'm afraid of bacteria growing in the prime environment. But as you know, the moment I open that incubator the humidity drops fast! There are also two eggs in there that are pipping.
How do you clean between hatches?
Click to expand...
Personally, I'd have done the same as you - and your duckling is alive now.
1f60a.png


I have two incubators of different styles - one is all plastic, the other styrofoam. Yours looks like it may be styrofoam also..? Right after the hatch, I wash everything with soap and water, followed by a white vinegar spray-down and then some time in the sun for UV sanitization. Some of the gooey things that come out in the hatch may be crusted on pretty well by the time you get to cleaning - I just soak the base and the tray in hot soapy water and scrub (gently, or the marks will remain in the styrofoam) with a clean toothbrush. If you have any stains in the styrofoam, you can use an oxygen cleanser to "bleach" it, just be sure you rinse it well to get all residue out.

In the end, it should be sparkly clean and ready for your next hatch!
 
Yes styrofoam. Thank you! Yes I use white vinegar and hot water to clean everything! But do you clean between hatches? For example, this one is out, but there are two others pipping. Do you wait for all to be out before any clean up? Perhaps another incubator is a good investment under messy circumstances!
 
tatswell said:
Yes styrofoam. Thank you! Yes I use white vinegar and hot water to clean everything! But do you clean between hatches? For example, this one is out, but there are two others pipping. Do you wait for all to be out before any clean up? Perhaps another incubator is a good investment under messy circumstances!
Click to expand...
Ah, ok...no, not while they're hatching, just after the hatch. I use the second incubator as the hatcher to keep the really messy stuff in there.
 

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