Day 40 non-hatcher but duckling very much alive!

[Muscovymummy]

Help!
I had incubated 5 muscovy eggs, 4 of which hatched perfectly at day 37, 3 days ago but I have a late hatcher..
The 5th egg still hasn't even broken through to the air sack and I'm now on day 40. She's very much alive and wobbles occasionally but obviously no cheeping as she's still in her membrane.
I've created a small hole in her shell (i had candled her and made a small hole as I was going to disregard her as a late death) but there she was, moving away. I've put damp tissue in the bator and covered the hole I made in her shell with selotape.

What do I do? Leave her? Assist?
I'm worried if I dont help her soon she will die..

Any advice would be much appreciated, this is my first time hatching any sort of egg so I'm really not sure what to do.

 

[IvysAnimals]

Did she pip yet? She might still be absorbing her yolk, so don't touch her yet. She might be weak and not come through yet... Ducks bills are also round so it'll take a bit longer to hatch than a chicken would. She might need help but I would wait till she starts to pip.. If she doesn't do that yet, click HERE. or HERE

 

[rjmyooper]

I've heard the larger breeds take longer to hatch, so I'd try to be patient for a day or 2 and see. Some people help them and some believe that the birds should do it on their own. I personally believe that I would only help them during a zip.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

What was your temperature? Was it consistent through incubation? Did you rotate eggs in the incubator throughout incubation or did you keep them all in the same spots (even circulated air incubators have cold spots and if an egg was sitting in a cold spot it can delay the hatch)?

 

[Muscovymummy]

Did she pip yet? She might still be absorbing her yolk, so don't touch her yet. She might be weak and not come through yet... Ducks bills are also round so it'll take a bit longer to hatch than a chicken would. She might need help but I would wait till she starts to pip.. If she doesn't do that yet, click HERE. or HERE

Thanks for the links, fingers crossed I wont need to assist her any further no sign of internal or external pipping yet, or nothing obvious that i can see through the incubator

 

[Muscovymummy]

I've heard the larger breeds take longer to hatch, so I'd try to be patient for a day or 2 and see. Some people help them and some believe that the birds should do it on their own. I personally believe that I would only help them during a zip.

I'm just over here patiently waiting for a pip, then at least I know there's progress. Haven't read all too many sucess stories of a muscovy that sucessfully hatched at day 40

 

[Muscovymummy]

What was your temperature? Was it consistent through incubation? Did you rotate eggs in the incubator throughout incubation or did you keep them all in the same spots (even circulated air incubators have cold spots and if an egg was sitting in a cold spot it can delay the hatch)?

Reduced the temp down to 37.2 at lockdown and kept the humidity at 60-65%. Prior to lockdown temp was set at 37.5 and 40-50% humidity. They where auto turned too.

the other 4 eggs seemed to respond well and successfully hatched. Egg 5 was wiggling around until a few days ago too but her movements are definitely less then before

Egg 5 was at the edge of the incubator though so I can only assume the delay is either just exhaustion or a slightly lower temp perhaps?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Reduced the temp down to 37.2 at lockdown and kept the humidity at 60-65%. Prior to lockdown temp was set at 37.5 and 40-50% humidity. They where auto turned too.

the other 4 eggs seemed to respond well and successfully hatched. Egg 5 was wiggling around until a few days ago too but her movements are definitely less then before

Egg 5 was at the edge of the incubator though so I can only assume the delay is either just exhaustion or a slightly lower temp perhaps?

If it was at the edge of the incubator it very well could have been a cold spot. Typically the closer the to center the warmer it gets and vise versa the farther away from the center. Wiggling less isn't always a bad sign and actually right before hatch many slow down because they have no space.