Day 30

[Eyeheartquail]

I am no expert but.....I would take the egg from Mom and pull a little bit of the shell off to see if I can find the beak. If you see blood, stop and put it back for a few hours and try again later. If there is no blood and no yoke in that egg, then the duckling is probably ready hatch, just not strong enough to get out of the egg on his own, especially if it is shrink wrapped. I would also be misting the crap out of the egg with some water while doing this to prevent more shrink wrap if it is too dry. It has been ridiculously humid in the pacific northwest lately so It is very suprising to hear it is dry where you are at.

 

[mettafour]

WOW! This has been a roller coaster ride! So, I went out there to check on the baby, so afraid of seeing no progress and what I found was that the baby duck has broken the shell and the membrane and has a long line of the shell open and when I peeped at it, it thrust its bill out and peeped!!! It isn't out yet, but it is really working hard at it!

I feel like making the Mom go to the water and step in it was a very good idea, because that membrane looked just like the one I saw yesterday... dry, dry, dry. I'm so excited! For me and the momma...that sure would have been a lot of work for her if not even one of those 15 eggs to hatch.

 

[Eyeheartquail]

Yay! If baby is already zipping you should be in the clear to get momma out and help baby out of that shell.

 

[mettafour]

We have a baby!!! (I did go out and get the mama out of the nest and just moved the egg a little and the little duckling just slid out!) Sad that she started out with 15 eggs (it is her first hatch and mine as well), but incredibly happy for the one we have. Even that little one makes it worth it.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Oh my gosh just got home and had to get on here and see if any news!!!

what great news!!!! Congrats to you and mama duck!!! How many eggs left an any sign of life from them?
okay over 2 hrs ago how is the baby duckling doing?

 

[mettafour]

I checked on her an hour ago and she was fine - all fluffy, peeping and started to follow after Mama when I made her get up so I could get a good look. I am so surprised that something that big can fit into an egg that small! No more eggs left... this was the last viable egg of the original 15 she sat on. That is kind of sad... but that little duckling is so cute!!! She can sit again, it was her very first time. I think one of her main problems was moisture on the eggs.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I checked on her an hour ago and she was fine - all fluffy, peeping and started to follow after Mama when I made her get up so I could get a good look. I am so surprised that something that big can fit into an egg that small! No more eggs left... this was the last viable egg of the original 15 she sat on. That is kind of sad... but that little duckling is so cute!!! She can sit again, it was her very first time. I think one of her main problems was moisture on the eggs.

Sounds wonderful, I know your excited now we wait for pics.

how many ducks do you have total and are they all ancona? very pretty breed I might add. Well out of the 13 duck eggs 2 of my ducks have brooded so far this year we have had 5 hatch and lost one of them. My first muscovy duck hatched 4 ducklings one died and my second hatched 1 duckling the other one hatching was shrink wrapped. I have 1 more girl sitting on 5 eggs due to hatch next Thursday, i know probably 2 of them aren't any good because they are from her and my goose, the other 3 are from my 3 youngest Muscovies so hopefully we'll get at least 3 out of this next hatch. Your right she is young many broody days left for sure. Now you can get a good nights sleep.