Duck egg pipping at wrong end

[Charaps]

The shell is broke and I've noticed shrinking. Pipping from wrong end. The membrane is showing with a small crack. It's alive now but when do I help? We're at 28 days now. Pekin egg. Any thoughts?

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Have you read @Pyxis's excellent article on assisted hatching? Pipping at the wrong end is covered in the "malpositions" section. When you get there, you'll note that it says to allow plenty of time before investigating further/beginning assist. How long has the egg been externally pipped?

You also mention "shrinking"...of the membrane? What's your humidity at? Have others been shrinkwrapped?

 

[Charaps]

I will read now. Humidity went to 81%. Noticed crack yesterday after another hatched. I thought it rolled into the equbator glass then I seen a little tear in the membrane. The shrinking I'm seeing is the egg away from the shell where it's broken. There is one other egg in there and nothings been shrieked wrapped. Did you see picture? Thanks for all your help. It's my first time and I'm worried. I heard it inside and it will occasionally move.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

YVW. I'm not new to incubating, but it's still anxiety-inducing, so I get it. Sometimes the outer membrane turning brownish-yellow isn't indicative of a problem - I have goslings hatching now, and one had a browning membrane. I was all ready to go in and coconut oil that membrane, but it hatched before I could.

81% is higher than I like to see humidity in my incubator at hatch - I try for around 70-75% after external pipping because when they hatch, the humidity will rise quite a bit, too. With the humidity that high, they shouldn't be at risk of shrinkwrapping at this point (unless humidity was too low during incubation).

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

This active thread about a chick pipping at the wrong end may be helpful for reference, too.

 

[Charaps]

I can't seem to lower the humidity. I've opened the hole the egg and can see its beak. The inside egg (skin) is still wet after I open it for it to breath and is dry. It was pushing to get out but its coming out the wrong end of the egg and hasn't obsorbed everything. Its just laying there. Its opening its mouth but not moving a lot. So how I have a hole it it and put coconut oil on the lining that was exposed no on the duck itself. (Shell was pulling away from the sack and came right off at touch. ) do I return to the equbator??? I hope I did make it worse off.

YVW. I'm not new to incubating, but it's still anxiety-inducing, so I get it. Sometimes the outer membrane turning brownish-yellow isn't indicative of a problem - I have goslings hatching now, and one had a browning membrane. I was all ready to go in and coconut oil that membrane, but it hatched before I could.

81% is higher than I like to see humidity in my incubator at hatch - I try for around 70-75% after external pipping because when they hatch, the humidity will rise quite a bit, too. With the humidity that high, they shouldn't be at risk of shrinkwrapping at this point (unless humidity was too low during incubation).

 

[Charaps]

I can't seem to lower the humidity. I've opened the hole the egg and can see its beak. The inside egg (skin) is still wet after I open it for it to breath and is dry. It was pushing to get out but its coming out the wrong end of the egg and hasn't obsorbed everything. Its just laying there. Its opening its mouth but not moving a lot. So how I have a hole it it and put coconut oil on the lining that was exposed no on the duck itself. (Shell was pulling away from the sack and came right off at touch. ) do I return to the equbator??? I hope I did make it worse off.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

I can't seem to lower the humidity. I've opened the hole the egg and can see its beak. The inside egg (skin) is still wet after I open it for it to breath and is dry. It was pushing to get out but its coming out the wrong end of the egg and hasn't obsorbed everything. Its just laying there. Its opening its mouth but not moving a lot. So how I have a hole it it and put coconut oil on the lining that was exposed no on the duck itself. (Shell was pulling away from the sack and came right off at touch. ) do I return to the equbator??? I hope I did make it worse off.

Yes, it should go back in the incubator so it can finish absorbing the yolk. The "yawning" is the chick absorbing yolk.

As far as I can tell, it doesn't look like you did anything that would harm the duckling. Even with part of the shell off, the membrane will stay moist from the coconut oil. Remember, it's pretty much a herculean effort for ducks to hatch, and this one is on the wrong end, so it has to expend even more effort. It will take time.

How long since it pipped has it been now - 24 hours?

 

[Charaps]

Yes, it should go back in the incubator so it can finish absorbing the yolk. The "yawning" is the chick absorbing yolk.

As far as I can tell, it doesn't look like you did anything that would harm the duckling. Even with part of the shell off, the membrane will stay moist from the coconut oil. Remember, it's pretty much a herculean effort for ducks to hatch, and this one is on the wrong end, so it has to expend even more effort. It will take time.

How long since it pipped has it been now - 24 hours?

30 hours

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Ok - since you could tell it still needs to absorb, I'd leave it be for now. Did you see active blood vessels? If so, it's going to take time for those to dry up, and it's important that those are dried up before more assisting takes place.