Duckling Hatching Already/Questions Please Help

[Patchesnposies]

12 days ago we had our first duckling hatch. We are new to incubating and honestly, the duck eggs are our little learning tools. This first little duckling was a total surprise, we found him in the incubator and had no clue he was hatching.

The next batch of eggs is due to hatch on the 25th, or so we thought. When I went in to turn the eggs just now, one of them had a piece of shell missing, though the membrane was not yet broken. The chip was on the large end. I could see movement behind the membrane and thought I could hear the faintest of sound of peeping.

Will this duckling die if the membrane does not break? Is this normal? What happens now? Any advice for a newbie to this?

Thanks in advance to anyone who cares to help/advise me!

Deb

 

[jvls1942]

if he is peeping, he is getting air.. he could take 24 hours to come out... just be patient and stand by... resist helping it out..
I found that the ones you help out tend to be weak and sickly.
the struggle to get out is what makes them strong and healthy. If they do not make it, so be it.. sounds cruel, but that iis how it is meant to be..

be strong..[;-)

....jiminwisc........

 

[banter]

I agree- look at some of the info on hatching on this site. The ones who hatch out themseves seem to be winners.