FIRST TIMER NEEDS HELP!!! PLEASE!!!!

[eightysbaby1980]

I am new to this so I apologize in advance for any stupid questions. My 5yr old and I found a duck egg laying on some wood chips in front of her gymnastics class. There were no other eggs and no duck around. So we took the egg and brought it home with us. Everyone told me that I should throw it out and that I would never be able to hatch it. I was destined to prove them wrong so I of course grabbed the computer and went online searching for how to hatch a duck egg....and I came across this amazing site with so much info. I read a forum where a gentleman said he never used a incubator just a heating pad on low heat, moist towel, and a glass bowl to help keep the egg moist and create humidity. So I grabbed a heating pad and glass bowl, wet a paper towel, wrapped the egg in the paper towel as well as a wash cloth and put the bowl over top like a dome. By day 5 I could see veins in the egg when candling (using the flashlight app on my phone). By day 6 I could actually see its little heart beating. Now I am on day 28 and I can hear tapping inside the egg, I am not able to see much anymore other than just a large dark area that I obviously know is our duck which by the way my daughter has already given the name "Lucky Ducky" LOL anyway of course we are so anxious for this little guy to hatch. I have been so proud of myself to make it this far in the incubation process but now I am getting nervous as I am not sure what to expect. I noticed slight tapping last night inside the egg but thought maybe I was hearing things, however today I could very distinctly hear the tapping and movement inside the egg what has me worried is that when looking at the egg earlier today I noticed a small droplet of fluid on the outside of the shell on the end where the air sac is....What is it? Is that normal or is something wrong. I don't see where he/she has internally piped but maybe I am missing something as it is hard at this point to see much of anything with the flashlight app I have been using on my phone. Any help or info would be greatly appreciated. Now I do know that this is a Mallard duck egg because the following week at gymnastics there was yet another egg laying in the same spot we left it alone because now the mama duck was sitting in her nest that she had made under a small bush it looked like maybe her eggs were just rolling out of the nest. I have read on some sites that the mama duck will discard any non viable eggs but obviously the egg we found was viable as we are down to the wire and waiting for hatch time. So what I need to know is: What is the small droplet of fluid I saw earlier today? And is that normal? How long does it take for them to internally pip? Should I still be keeping the egg wrapped in the moist paper towel and wash cloth with the bowl over top to keep the egg moist and warm? If it hatches and I am not there to remove the bowl how will he/she breath? Once it does hatch is it ok to feed him non-medicated started feed from the feed store? Can I simply just put him/her in a box on top of the heating pad with some straw or bedding inside with the feed and a shallow bowl of water? I know lots of questions I just really want to make sure this little guy or girl makes it. This has been so exciting and if all goes well I am even considering attempting to hatch some chickens. Thanks in advance for any info anyone can provide.

Thanks Crystal

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I have limited hatching experience so take this with a grain of salt...

I would not close off the oxygen supply to the egg...you want to keep it moist but not suffocate the baby inside. I would lay a wet towel across the top but leave a hole for air to get in if it were me.

Yes I would put a wet washcloth next to the egg.

When I have read about eggs weeping fluid that generally means that they are going bad. But you have tapping going on so obviously the baby is not deceased!!

If the membrane is too dry the baby can be shrink wrapped inside the shell even before hatching so you need to keep that humidity up. And then when the hatching starts the humidity needs to be kept up or he/she can get stuck at this point too.

Here:
http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/2902/2902-1090/2902-1090.html
virginia tech incubation guide

Now I have never had ducks so bear with me but I have raised lots of chicks so here is what you need:

At home depot or the feed store you can get a clamp lamp. Look for one with a ceramic socket inside it. You will need to secure this lamp at least two ways not including the clamp, say with metal wire, to something very sturdy so the little duck won't knock it over. You can use a lower wattage bulb than the heat lamp bulbs if you are brooding in the house but you need to keep the temperature at a certain level- so if you need the heat lamp bulb get one at the feed store or you Home Depot has a 150 watt heat lamp bulb in the light bulb section, I have seen.

Here:
http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/chickcare.html
Very valuable tips on how to care for chicks.

I don't know about duck feed at all. I have read they need more Niacin than chicken chicks.

Personally I would not depend upon the heating pad to keep him/her warm after hatching. I think I have read where some people did OK with that but I would worry since our home tends to be a bit on the chilly side for that.

Hopefully your little duckie hatches out safely!

 

[eightysbaby1980]

Thank you so much for the info!! He still hasn't hatched yet but I can still hear tapping inside the egg. I am just so anxious it seems like he is taking forever to get here. I took your advice and got the heat lamp all set up and ready to go

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Thank you so much for the info!!

He still hasn't hatched yet but I can still hear tapping inside the egg. I am just so anxious it seems like he is taking forever to get here. I took your advice and got the heat lamp all set up and ready to go

I am so glad you still hear tapping!!!