Egg too small, duckling pipped, struggling to breathe, no noise, day 28 - pic attached

[BelovedBirds]

My head is spinning a bit. I thought that if he pipped the correct end then he would externally pip the correct end. I'm confused as to why he would turn around at the last minute and head the wrong way. He was chirping, and I saw his bill in the air sac. Was a big shadow triangle

These little ones are so spicy! Definitely the right species for my house. Hahaha

is there any chance it was a different egg peeping? That is a little odd

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

Ugh!View attachment 3038181

Last night he internally pipped and I heard him chirping. I got up this morning and he had tried to externally pip or the wrong end. There was a star crack in the egg, but he had stopped moving for over 12 hours, so I went ahead and made him a breathing hole. I also peeled a little of the top layer of shell so he could get his break through. The white membrane is still there though. He made his way through the white membrane for his break.

I will sit on my hands now that he can breathe. Lol

Oh you really are having a hatch just like I did
@WVduckchick is very good at helping wrong end
My baby took 50 hours and could have stayed in another 2-3 She was really starting to rapid breath so got her head and neck out but left her in her bottom shell in a little bowl till she was done. She didn’t have much left to absorb
Stay patient like with the last one and Baby should be just fine. They sometimes even break out themselves from that end

 

[HostileMatron]

is there any chance it was a different egg peeping? That is a little odd

No. It was the only egg in lockdown. Three next egg just went in last night. That's when I checked him and he was pushing on the membrane. I checked again in an hour and he was peeping.

I have a small 4"x4" hatch that I can go into without changing the climate inside. I have plastic that my hand goes through so that heat and moisture don't escape. That's how I'll be putting the eggs in and out of the lockdown area since it's a staggered hatch. Best I could come up with. Lol. Seems to be working

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

No. It was the only egg in lockdown. Three next egg just went in last night. That's when I checked him and he was pushing on the membrane. I checked again in an hour and he was peeping.

I have a small 4"x4" hatch that I can go into without changing the climate inside. I have plastic that my hand goes through so that heat and moisture don't escape. That's how I'll be putting the eggs in and out of the lockdown area since it's a staggered hatch. Best I could come up with. Lol. Seems to be working

How’s the little egg doing ?

 

[HostileMatron]

How’s the little egg doing ?

He broke the opening a little bit wider but has not made any other cracks in the egg. He's still chirping and his little duck bill keeps out of the hole, but that's about it so far

The picture is from just a minute ago. I was trying to get his little duck bill in the picture but the camera in with him has just enough delay that I couldn't time it right. Lol. Zooming in for the shot didn't work either.

How long can he stay as he is before I would need to intervene? I know he is breathing. I'm assuming that buys him time

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

How’s the little egg doing ?

He broke the opening a little bit wider but has not made any other cracks in the egg. He's still chirping and his little duck bill keeps out of the hole, but that's about it so far

The picture is from just a minute ago. I was trying to get his little duck bill in the picture but the camera in with him has just enough delay that I couldn't time it right. Lol. Zooming in for the shot didn't work either.View attachment 3039069

How long can he stay as he is before I would need to intervene? I know he is breathing. I'm assuming that buys him time

You treat this just like an internal pip
24 hours. Because he skipped that step by going ti the wrong end you have to treat it like it is
But because he has air to breath and the hole is right by his beak I would give him more time to try and do it on his own
@WVduckchick maybe better to ask
I had to help as mine was not able to get out but her beak wasn’t coming in and out she was stuck
Yours did make the crack on its own so baby maybe able to zip out

 

[WVduckchick]

From the looks of where the pip is, I suspect he should be able to hatch on his own. As @New duck mommy 2021 said, it may take extra time because of skipping the internal pip part, so patience is key.
Main thing to watch for is darkening or browning of the membrane. If it gets brown and leathery looking, you might need to intervene.

 

[Oldegarlicshnapp]

I think what you’re doing is the best possible solution for this guy. If anything I’ve seen instances where people put them in cups, but I would not go that far. Personally I’d say to experiment with what you know. I just had an incubation batch screw up with one survivor in a similar predicament- not as severe

All the eggs were malpositioned and some other issues. At the same time, another chick pipped but drowned because I didn’t make the hole bigger in time. I left it cause I thought it would keep doing it’s thing. So that’s why I think you’re doing alright by these ducks. If anything, let him suck up what he needs and sacrifice stress and time. I think he’ll make it with your help. These chicks might need an egg scalping to make it

 

[HostileMatron]

From the looks of where the pip is, I suspect he should be able to hatch on his own. As @New duck mommy 2021 said, it may take extra time because of skipping the internal pip part, so patience is key.
Main thing to watch for is darkening or browning of the membrane. If it gets brown and leathery looking, you might need to intervene.

Thanks. It looks like he made tears in the white membrane so I should be able to sneak a look at the inner membrane. I couldn't see it earlier, but that's because the hole was directly above his bill so I couldn't see passed it.

I found that I was able to get my fingernail between the hard shell and the white membrane layer. That white membrane looks like a middle layer of sorts. I took tiny bits of the hard shell only. That made it easier to make the breathing hole directly where his bill was without injuring him, and made it easier for him to make the breathing hole a size that made him comfortable.

He doesn't seem stressed and isn't struggling to get out of the hole. He was still chewing earlier. I can't get a clear view from the camera in there, but I'll look through the window when I get home

 

[HostileMatron]

I think what you’re doing is the best possible solution for this guy. If anything I’ve seen instances where people put them in cups, but I would not go that far. Personally I’d say to experiment with what you know. I just had an incubation batch screw up with one survivor in a similar predicament- not as severe
View attachment 3039090
All the eggs were malpositioned and some other issues. At the same time, another chick pipped but drowned because I didn’t make the hole bigger in time. I left it cause I thought it would keep doing it’s thing. So that’s why I think you’re doing alright by these ducks. If anything, let him suck up what he needs and sacrifice stress and time. I think he’ll make it with your help. These chicks might need an egg scalping to make it

Thank you very much. I'm keeping fingers crossed that he will sort himself out