Dry membrane is it time to intervene???!!

okay that's good. don't leave it too long though. If the membrane is dry then the duckling will be unable to zip around the egg to get itself out - at this point it probably wont be able to get itself out if the membrane is dry like you say. you have done well though! have you got any other ducklings hatching already hatched or due to hatch? and what breed are they? I have have indian runners, but I have only hatched silver appleyard ducks :)
 
Thanks! I have a couple of Rouen ducklings that are almost ready to go outside. I was considering getting more hatching eggs but after this ordeal I'm not so sure. I just don't understand what I did wrong. When I get home from work in a few hours I plan on finishing the sipping around the egg. I'm scared to touch the inner membrane because I can still see some blood vessels. I'm guessing this means it's not ready?
 
don't let this stop you from hatching out more eggs! it is all a learning curve, and it wont necessarily happen the next time. it isn't your fault, sometimes duckling are just not strong enough, whether it is in the genes or its too big for the egg etc. That's great, I'm guessing you hatched the other two rouens?
the blood vessels don't mean that the duckling isn't ready - as the outer membrane has completely dried. when feeling the inner membrane is it dry as well? if so this means that the duck should be ready and in a couple of hours it will be ready. I have had chicks that have hatched too early but the membrane had dried out, the chick was still attached to the egg after hatching and within a few hours it kicked itself off of the egg. the chick is now a fully grown happy and healthy chicken. good luck, and don't be scared to intervene, as from now the duckling will not be able to get out - if the membrane is dry just like you said. :))
 
Did the chick do that all on its own? I didn't hatch the other ducklings; I bought them out of despair due to the horrible condition my shipped eggs arrived in. I I'm still worried that if I begin tearing away at the inner membrane that the yolk hasn't been fully absorbed. I picked more of the shell and outer membrane away, mostly so I could apply more bacitracin to the dry inner membrane. Here is the progress so far, and the veins still appear full of blood.
 
It looks like your little duck wasn't quite "ripe" yet. Wish you luck with your little one.
x2--it is not ready to hatch. I'd leave it be but it will be difficult now for it to hatch properly with so much shell gone. They need to peck and kick against their shells. It also does not look dried out to me.
 
okay don't worry, there is a lot of blood but still in the veins. I would just keep patting the membrane and leftover shell with a wet tissue - but don't go anywhere near the ducklings beak, you may drown it if water gets into the mouth and nostrils. don't take away any more shell now. in a few hours if it looks better then take a small amount of shell away from the left hand side (shown on the picture) that is where the ducklings head is, and at the bottom, if you manage to get the head out, and let the head rest on some tissue and the body still in the egg, then the duckling will be able to finish the job and absorb any more yolk if there is some still to absorb. I think the duckling is ready - if it pipped over 24 hours ago, the membrane is dry and the inner membrane is quite dry then it it ready. good luck!
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The membrane was definitely dry, bother inner and outer, and would have remained that way had I not lathered it up with bacitracin. I am confident that if I hadn't intervened this duckling wouldn't have made it out of the shell. S1ilkieGirl99 thank you so much for all your help and support. At 6 am this morning I was able to get the head out, and it's resting now. I'm a little concerned because it appears that at some point the yolk sack ruptured. Truthfully thinking back before I started this process the tip of the egg did appear to have a yellow tent. However, the duckling has also appeared to have pooped in the shell. I left it still attached, but now I'm worried because of the possible yolk rupture and poop....
 
that's excellent! well done! yes, I would just leave him or her for now to do the rest and have a little sleep, it should be able to finish off by itself. I wouldn't worry about the yolk rupture for now, unless there is blood, there shouldn't be a problem. As for the poop, you might be mistaking it for part of the yolk sack - unless it is a poop, which is normal, I've had chicks in the past pooping in the shell during a long hatching - so I wouldn't worry about that either. Just make sure the duckling is warm and comfortable, I usually lay it on some tissue to help it dry off and detach itself from the egg. well done! You did make the right choice to help it out. it will probably be a very noisy duckling as it is on it's own, but it should build a close bond between you both
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