Do I need to assist?

ChickenMom04

Songster
Oct 17, 2020
100
62
101
I have 5 khaki Campbell eggs under my broody hen with no defined hatch date. None have externally pipped but one, and this one has been pipped with this size of hole for about 12 or more hours. I’m wondering, when should I assist? The mama is back on her nest now and each time she happens to accidentally roll the hatching egg over so the hole is against the ground. Not ideal for the duckling inside. The membrane is slightly yellow but there is not a ton of blood. As you can see in the second picture, there is a gap where the membrane is stuck to the duck rather than the egg. It also appears that she is positioned with her feet in the wrong spot and is poking her head between her leg and what I assume to be a wing, but as of now it looks like the rest of a wet ducking looks. I don’t want to jump in before the yolk is absorbed but seeing as this is our only hatching duckling at the moment, I don’t want to be too late.
pictures:
EC794815-D21E-40ED-84F1-24AB36C71F72.jpeg

A6CB7C2D-99A6-48B7-A268-6C45033010B4.jpeg
 
I would leave her alone for maybe another 12 hours, my chicken eggs were rolled all over the place under momma. They all hatched just fine. most of my chicks got out after 12 hours of an external pip. The malpositioned chick took 24 hours.

I hear ducks take longer... 48 hours? since it has air and can breathe, I would wait longer. You can apply coconut oil carefully to the membrane if you want and gently work the stuck piece off the duckling.
 

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