First time incubating Muscovies AND first assisted hatch!

[TwoChicksChix]

If you're very worried that it has externally pipped and hasn't made any progress for a really long time, you can always, very quickly, pull the egg out and break off a small piece of the surrounding shell.

Just enough to see if the chick is vacuumed inside or if it still has blood vessels that are absorbing and aren't done yet. If the blood vessels are still absorbing, put the baby back in the incubator and let nature do its thing. If it hatches too soon it could break a vessel and bleed to death.

If the baby looks stuck to the membrane, ie. it's leathery and hard, not wet and a little flimsy, then coat your fingers in a decent amount of water and work on wetting the membrane around the baby and removing it as it seems to be easier to take off. Don't just rip it off as you can hurt the baby.

 

[Tacswa3]

If you're very worried that it has externally pipped and hasn't made any progress for a really long time, you can always, very quickly, pull the egg out and break off a small piece of the surrounding shell.

Just enough to see if the chick is vacuumed inside or if it still has blood vessels that are absorbing and aren't done yet. If the blood vessels are still absorbing, put the baby back in the incubator and let nature do its thing. If it hatches too soon it could break a vessel and bleed to death.

If the baby looks stuck to the membrane, ie. it's leathery and hard, not wet and a little flimsy, then coat your fingers in a decent amount of water and work on wetting the membrane around the baby and removing it as it seems to be easier to take off. Don't just rip it off as you can hurt the baby.

Good advice, thank you!

 

[Tacswa3]

3 out 5 hatched. Third one peeled some shell away to help. It had been externally pipped for 4 days. 30 minutes later it popped out on its own.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Congratulations!! Pics when you can please!!

 

[TwoChicksChix]

Good! So if you’re worried about the other two, just candle them when it’s dark and check to see if there is movement or if they’ve internally pipped and are still alive. If they are, you can make a small breathing hole and see if they can do it the rest of the way.

If not, you might have to help them, but make sure that they are fully done absorbing all the blood and yolk.

 

[Tacswa3]

Will do.

I'm having the darnest time getting these little buggers to eat or drink. I am aware they can get by a couple days from birth but you'd think they would nibble a bit.

 

[Miss Lydia]

They will when they are ready. Put down a paper towel and sprinkle some feed on the paper and see if that will get them started. I usually dip the bill into the water to start.

 

[Tacswa3]

Well, check this out.... So i was using my infrared laser thermometer to check temps in the brooder. Well they started chasing the red dot. So led them to the MASH bowl and had the dot in the bowl. They got some nibbles as they went after the red dot. I guess that's one way.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That’s hysterical. Yep that’s one way!

 

[Tacswa3]

Here they are so far...... I still expect the last two to hatch. So far so good but they all needed help to some degree.