Advice needed please!!

[Cazlyndy]

Hello, 1st time hatching ducks. We put 4 khaki duck eggs in incubator, 3 weren't fertile very early on, so Day 28 (2 days ago) little duckling pipped. Day 29 only little progress was made, occasionally chirping & movement, after looking on many sites & reading help was possibly needed. Gently with tweezers I picked off the shell & moved some of rubbery skin underneath which was virtually clean. Left her overnight last night & today (day 30) still not much improvement. I've helped her some more but discovered she is still attached to the egg & i can't see any yolk. She is very sleepy, but moves sometimes & chirps.
I really don't want to lose her, is there anything else I can do.
Thankyou

 

[Orca5094]

She shouldn't actually be attached to the egg. Do you mean by the little umbilical cord, or is the membrane maybe dried onto her and stuck to her feathers? If she's stuck to the membrane you need to help her get out or she will tire and die eventually. If she is stuck to the membrane that means it has dried out because the humidity was not high enough for her to hatch (or incubator was opened during hatching, letting out the humidity).

At any rate, if it is the membrane dried to her and she can't get out on her own (which I think may be the case since it's been two days since she pipped), you can take some warm water and a cotton ball and apply a little water to the membrane. That should help you get her unstuck and out of the egg. This should only be done if you are sure the yolk is completely absorbed and there are no blood vessels left in the inner membrane that could bleed if you help break her out. Also, be very careful not to get any water near her bill where she could potentially breathe any in!

Good luck and keep us updated!

 

[Cazlyndy]

It's the little umbilical cord that's still attached. The last couple of hours she's been quite active & has opened her eyes a few times

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

When they first hatch they are very tired and do sleep a lot even more so for a chick that has had a difficult hatch. If it's only attached to the shell by the umbilical cord this usually dries up and the chick will then become detached from the shell. I've had chicks hatch still attached,they dragged the shell round the incubator for a bit Inbetween resting and sleeping and they have just eventually fallen off. Don't try to pull the umbilical cord because it could pull the chick abdomen through the navel. If it hasn't come off by the time you move it to the brooder I would tie the cord off I wouldn't cut just incase there are active blood vessels stil in it but I'm quite sure it will dry up and come away on its own by then. Wishing you the very best of luck.

 

[Cazlyndy]

Thanks, I had read not to touch the cord otherwise it could kill her. Just the waiting game for it to dry up

 

[Orca5094]

Ok, glad she is out and it was just the umbilical cord attached. It'll dry up and detach soon, no worries.

 

[Cazlyndy]

I was so worried we was going to lose her but after lots of help,love,egg yolk with water and sugar she is now doing fantastically. Her cord has dropped off &

she's running around like she should be

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Aww she looks great
So pleased for you that she's doing well, long may it continue

 

[Cazlyndy]

Thank you

 

[Orca5094]

That's so good to hear! Thanks for the pic, she is adorable!!