Duck pipped almost 48 hours ago...UPDATE - got duckies!!

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

I noticed the pip Friday night after work. It's making some progress but it's still not zipped even halfway around. The hole is big enough that I can see the bill and see it moving. I haven't hatched ducks since last spring so I can't remember if this is normal progress or not. Note: I'm not a big one for helping; if it was meant to be, it was meant to be but is this normal?

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

Anyone?

 

[Kennyog]

Ducks normally hatch out well by my experiences with them.It doesn't sound good.i have had little luck with helping anything to hatch,but it's your call.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

Thanks - that's why I don't like to help them hatch, but I couldn't remember if it was supposed to take this long from pip to hatch.

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

Update! By 5pm yesterday I couldn't take it anymore. The little guy was making progress but not enough so I helped it and fortunately it's just fine! Then I did a really stupid thing

I turned off the bator. There was one egg left that wasn't doing a doggone thing and it was already several days past their due date (I only put 3 in; one wasn't fertile). I knew it was developing but assumed it had died. DBF came over this afternoon while I was at work to check on the duckling. He went down the basement to peek in the incubator and - amazingly - the last egg was hatching with the incubator off for almost 24 hours! He brought it up and held it under the heat lamp. The warmer it got, the more movement he saw so he hatched it and so far it's doing ok! Still not out of the woods but it's dry and almost fluffy.

I'm SO glad he decided to pop over today. He's my hero

Lesson learned - let ducks go well past their expected date - won't make that mistake again! <need a smiley of smacking myself in the head>