Duckling died as it zipped

[DuckMomKat]

Hi there,
I am very sad as I have just witnessed my one little duckling pass away as it was zipping! I watched it push and push and was determined not to ‘help’ as you aren’t supposed to. He pipped externally yesterday and was pushing out strongly this morning. I kept checking on him to watch the progress. One of the others hatched out completely (from pip to zip) in the meantime.
I was just considering if I should help and it suddenly peeped for the last time and stopped breathing! I whipped it out of the incubator to see if I could save it, but it was already gone… it had sticky mucus stuff coming out of its bill.
There are 4 more still to hatch (pipped yesterday evening). I’m worried this little guy drowned or got too exhausted? What would cause the mucus? The egg was not overly icky inside and humidity has been around 65% since lockdown.
Should I help the others out or just wait? I’m scared I’ll lose the rest because I’m not assisting them…

Thanks for the help!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

If there's no blood veins than I generally will help them out. I don't hatch in an incubator, generally under broody hens, so it's easy for me to check the progress. Sorry you lost it. Unfortunately losses come with hatching, and it can be disheartening.

 

[Yardmom]

You may want to look for the article on assisted hatching. Losses during hatching are hard, but it is part of the process.

 

[DuckMomKat]

Thanks for the replies. I have read the assisted hatching and am monitoring the others carefully. 2 hatched by themselves but seems the last two are slower and one seems to have a foot over its head.
So sad that I waited too long to help the first one.
Still wondering what caused it to die so fast! Fine one second and dead the next!

 

[Perris]

Hatching is the chick's first big challenge in life. Some are not up to it. Typically, they are also ones that, if they do get help to hatch, go on to develop other issues. Some of us have stopped helping chicks hatch because the outcome is often just prolonging the inevitable.