Duckling came early...

[Theduckchicklady]

A bit of a story but important details, I had two hens decide to brood a clutch of twenty. Each. Now I took all the chicken eggs they had collected and each ended up with 15. First mom, mini, hatched out 5 healthy babies then left her nest...I pulled eggs and put them in the incubator and hatched out 5 more. Daisey my other duck Still laying on her eggs didn’t have any. Odd since they went broody together but it happens I suppose. I gave her the hatched babies to keep warm while newly hatched and mini retrieved them By morning. All good right? So I have ten beautiful ducklings healthy and happy and Daisey left the nest for no reason other than to co parent with mini. So I took her eggs too. Threw away the none developing or rotting ones and was left with seven. A few days passed and squishy hatched alone. Last one of minis. None of daisey’s are hatching. It’s been a week I was about to give up till one punched a huge hole. Not a pip no zipper just a hole. Membrane started shrinking on her and by the time I got her she was nearly suffocating. I had no choice she was going to suffocate. Start peeling the eggs and tearing the membrane to help her out and I see blood. Panic. I stop but she is struggling so now the choice is let her die in egg slowly. Or help her and risk her bleeding out. I risked it. Little bleeding nothing major I was super careful and really just turned the egg inside out because: she was still attached no gooy yoke no she was still attached to the egg so I left her attached to absorb her yoke and blood vessels and last night she detached. The problem. She isn’t getting up she is just laying there and sort of drags herself around. Doesn’t peep really will occasionally and doesn’t keep her eyes open very long if at all. What do I do? I can’t tell if she is just weak and recovering or slowly dying... anyone have this happen? No other ducks could have got their eggs in late, and those eggs were at least a week late so what happened?! Advice for the baby?

 

[Theduckchicklady]

Squishy is alone but doesn’t seemed bothered he is spoiled and with me when I am home and has little interest but I suppose I should ask... should I get him some pals too. The moms rejected him and tried to kill him so it’s just me and him two buckaroos watching this strange sick duck

 

[Stipenvlerk]

congratulations on your hatch. Ducks love to have duck friends. They are group animals. Yes I would get him some friends if possible.

But my first concern would be the health of squish. How’s she doing? Getting stronger yet?

 

[Theduckchicklady]

Sorry squishy is my lone duckling that came out three days before the one that was early and sadly the other one was soooo crippled and weak she passed about a day later I can’t help to feel that was me having to hatch her out. I don’t know I had to do the same with squishy and he/ she is amazing and goes with me everywhere. I did try again to put him with mom and other babies she for sure won’t let him in so I ordered him some friends they come next week so he is stuck with just me until then. He doesn’t seemed bothered but as you said they are a group creature and I don’t want him to be stunted when he gets his new friends... so I hope not he will be a eeek older then them but... not seeing another choice it was the soonest I could get them here. I would take one of his siblings but boy did the mother fight me and when I got one he is bigger and older than squishy by two weeks and just ran him over and it was a mess so... we wait.

 

[Theduckchicklady]

Here is squishy when I am not at work I carry him along or we go take a bath or he helps me work and sits on my lap while I work on the computer he seems pretty content so hopefully it will be enough until his friends come

 

[Glwyandotte]

Here is squishy when I am not at work I carry him along or we go take a bath or he helps me work and sits on my lap while I work on the computer he seems pretty content so hopefully it will be enough until his friends come

He’s so cute. He looks healthy. If he seems content I say he will be fine until your ducklings ship.

 

[Glwyandotte]

What breed is he? Just wondering.

 

[Theduckchicklady]

Cauga/ magpie from what I can tell. Daddy of all these babies is a magpie handsome boy for sure the Mini(one of the moms) is a grey swed her babies are very much different and grey Daisey the other mother( I don’t think she had any but the one that didn’t make it) so no pure magpie babies so leaves me to the conclusion he be a cauga baby which is awesome because of that’s the case his actual mom died a week ago just died nothing seemed wrong with her at all so that was sad so he is extra special.

 

[BradenLeeP]

It looks like Squishy is doing good! It makes me so happy to see baby duckies, plus when he gets friends he'll be so excited! Hopefully he has imprinted on you and will be your best friend. How fast did he/she get better? Between your other posts, I'm curious how fast he progressed and got healthier

 

[Theduckchicklady]

Compared to his sibling immensely quick. First day after I hatched him out he was really weak like the other one wasn’t really moving I got him warm and dry and just checked on him every two hours... yup like a new born next day was sort of dragging himself around then after about three days he was walking and moving I gave him chick boost and continued to check during the day every two hours thankfully he was born on a Friday right as I got off work and got him to drink the. After that he was acting normal. My other one that came too early only made it 35 hours no matter how much love I poured on her