Duckling pipped wrong...Hoping I made the right choice

[Knighstar679]

I have been hatching call duck eggs for the last 48 hours. ie they internal pipped about that long ago. Today I noticed that I had an egg that had external pipped, (i had thought it hadn't) but it was on the back side away from the air cell. I started by just opening the area around the bill. But as today has worn on the little duckling has grown less vigerous and peepy. So i tried to figure out how to open the egg without stabbing the duckling. My first attempt through the air cell didn't go well as I stabbed the duckling as its body fills almost the whole air cell as it is. There was just barely the space between the baby and the shell to fit the tweezers that is how little space this duckling had in the end. I finally managed to get a space open and was able to peel away the shell from the membrane, put no pain killer antibiotic ointment on it and now it is back in the bator.

Here is a pic for what it looks like now.


I can tell it has a ways to go yet from the veins. Just hoping that I didn't mess up this little guy.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

It's always a tough call on whether to assist, but I'm also inclined to assist when there's a malposition. Further complicating the decision about whether to assist is that ducklings can take a long time to hatch after externally pipping, and I've found that it's often because they're still absorbing yolk...and prematurely hastening hatch at that point can result in a bad outcome.

Since you've ensured the duckling can breathe and you've moistened the membrane to help prevent shrinkwrapping, I'd just give the duckling more time to finish up the pre-hatch processes, monitoring it so you'll know if further assistance is needed. My guess is that it may need another 24 hours before the vessels recede and yolk is absorbed.

If you haven't already familiarized yourself with this guide, I suggest you do...it will come in handy. Best of luck!

 

[casportpony]

Looks like you did the right thing. Maybe @Pyxis or @WVduckchick can offer some advice.

 

[Mvan42]

I agree I don’t hatch ducks but I have assisted a few chicks in the past. Looks like it has a while to go, keep the ointment on the membrane so it doesn’t dry out. Being it’s on the wrong Sind (no experience with this other than what I have read) it may need more assistance later. Make sure the vessels are empty and more then likely the duckling will start wiggling and trying to get out.

 

[AltonaAcres]

I did the exact same thing. I helped out a chick who I could tell had given up. He began bleeding (now I know it was just the membrane). I helped him out all the way, as he was still losing blood. After he was completely apart from the shell he stopped losing blood, but rested for hours. i thought I'd lose him. however he's still alive today. felt horrible, almost threw up, but in the end I did the right thing. I hope your duckling is ok!!!!

 

[FunnyfarmMidwest]

Hope your duckling pulls through. Sometimes we have to make the tough call of whether or not to assist. We have to cross our fingers and hope we make the right call. This is one of the ducklings I’ve assisted. I was worried I had done the wrong thing because he bled some. Turns out he was stuck and needed my help. He pulled through and I still have him. Has your little call made anymore progress?

 

[Pyxis]

Sounds like you've done what you could so far. I also have a Call hatching right now that pipped away from the air cell, like yours. I'm keeping a close eye on it and I'm assuming I'll have to step in at some point soon.

 

[Mvan42]

How is it doing?