good news and a slight concern..!

[T-R-O-U-B-L-E]

It looks like he still has a lot of veins, so he will dry those up before he internally pips.

 

[quackkquack__]

Ahh good news!!
I went to put more coconut oil on Clove's membrane (and found out that hes not facing the hole I made at all, it's his foot/the knee pushing against the membrane.. I thought it was the elbow of the wing or a very soft looking beak..)
And I candled Lilac and Lovebug to check on them and as I was candling Lilac (shes still trying her best to internally pip but she might be a quitter), I heard this soft, quiet peep and I was confused because I was playing duckling peeping noises on my phone and it sounded too far and quiet to be my phone so I took Lovebug into another room and talked to her and put the egg up to my ear and lo and behold! It was Lovebug!
Lovebug was peeping and tapping and I could feel her moving around in the egg and oh boy I'm so excited!

I kind of dragged the story out but I usually do that..
Lovebug is not a quitter at all, shes been trying for either a day and a half or almost two days to internally pip and she did it! But Lilac, she might be a quitter. Hopefully she can get through or she'll make a bruise and I can make a hole so she can get air!

 

[quackkquack__]

just leave him be for now. You'll need to keep re-applying coconut oil to the membrane every hour to two, though. Don't let that dry out.

I've been putting coconut oil on the membrane and I've checked on him multiple times. His beak is definitely not near the membrane or it's covered, his knee is pushing against the membrane while he wiggles around but he doesn't seem to be able to move.
I see a small shadow in the second air cell but it doesn't seem to be a beak, it's not moving either. I'm not sure what to do since hes been in this position since 11 something am (it's 4:34pm here) and I don't want him to suffocate.
He could somehow be in the second air cell but I don't see any movement in it or hear anything either.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I would honestly take Saran Wrap abc cover that big open area
When I said safety hole I didn’t mean anything big like that
I only ever make a pin hole size then wait 24 more hours of nothing happens I make it a bit bigger to look for the beak then leave baby he to finish absorbing
I really encourage relaxing while hatching as if we rush things worrying we can have bad results
Look up internal pip videos on YouTube that will help you to identify for sure what’s going on in the egg
Coconut oil is great ti see veins but doesn’t keep it moist long
Use Vaseline as it last 3-4 hours instead of 1-2 putting a small piece if plastic kitchen wrap will help to keep that moist and hopefully prevent shrink wrap

 

[quackkquack__]

I would honestly take Saran Wrap abc cover that big open area
When I said safety hole I didn’t mean anything big like that
I only ever make a pin hole size then wait 24 more hours of nothing happens I make it a bit bigger to look for the beak then leave baby he to finish absorbing
I really encourage relaxing while hatching as if we rush things worrying we can have bad results
Look up internal pip videos on YouTube that will help you to identify for sure what’s going on in the egg
Coconut oil is great ti see veins but doesn’t keep it moist long
Use Vaseline as it last 3-4 hours instead of 1-2 putting a small piece if plastic kitchen wrap will help to keep that moist and hopefully prevent shrink wrap

I originally made the hole small but when I noticed him being shrink wrapped I made it bigger to be able to put coconut oil on it.
If he ends up internally pipping in the other air cell, what do I do?

EDIT: Should I make a safety hole in the other air cell since hes faced that way once I cover up the big hole?

 

[quackkquack__]

I originally made the hole small but when I noticed him being shrink wrapped I made it bigger to be able to put coconut oil on it.
If he ends up internally pipping in the other air cell, what do I do?

EDIT: Should I make a safety hole in the other air cell since hes faced that way once I cover up the big hole?

We don't have any Saran Wrap to cover the hole so I used some kitchen plastic wrap and put some coconut oil on it (can't find our vaseline..) and wrapped the hole, I'm going to check it to make sure it doesn't shrink wrap but I can hear the tapping noise and it's pushing the second air cell.
Once I know for sure hes internally pipped, after 24 hours I'll make a safety hole.
Lilac still hasn't done anything and Lovebug seems to be quickly absorbing it's yolk and veins.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

That works
Once you know for sure then you can make the safety hole
But just small

 

[quackkquack__]

Well.. I tried.
I decided to get Clove out to put more coconut oil on the membrane and I noticed the veins looked more dull and she wasn't moving but I didn't think too much of it. I put some coconut oil on the membrane and kind of poked her and she didn't move at all so I panicked.
I knew she couldn't breathe so I opened the other air cell but it was already too late. I had gotten her out right after she passed away. I took her beak out and I tried to do mouth-to-mouth CPR (didn't really put my mouth on hers, just tried to breath and get some air in her) and at first I thought it worked but it didn't of course.

I honestly kind of blame myself. Around 30 minutes to an hour before I got her out, something told me to check on her and get her out but instead I just shined my light in the incubator and saw her move a bit and then I left.
I wish I could go back in time and get her out then, maybe I could've saved her. It would've been weird with two big holes in the egg but she would've survived.

I pray both Lovebug and Lilac hatch, I don't want to have another lone duckling.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I’m so sorry. I have lost one I hesitated with my first hatch
I get the heartbreak
When making a safety hole they don’t need a big one
Small is better
This keeps them from drying out
It also allows them to still external if they are able to
Internal pip then wait 24 hours make safety hole. Then wait 12-18 more hours and make the hole a little bigger the size of a dime so you can look in to see the beak
After the 24 hour mark you can slowly start to pick around the air cell just a little at a time and then wait a few hours then a little more ect
No need to rush to get them out as long as they have the safety hole they have air getting in and should be okay ( not all make it for various reasons but most do )
Here is a pick of my baby named hope
She was the only egg left under mom to survive and she was at the wrong end. The second I saw the bruise I made a small safety hole in the middle of it. 24 hours later is the picture I’m
Showing you and she had made a bigger bruise that I made a second hole in the middle about the size of an eraser end on a pencil
This little girl took about 52 hours to hatch with full assist and still had a tiny yolk that took another 2 hours to absorb once out
Today she is 8 months old and doing great
I was taught don’t rush things
Let them absorb once they have the safety hole
They should be yawing and chewing away
We as duck moms worry a lot more then we need to

 

[quackkquack__]

Mister Lovebug has started hatching! He made a big crack a little bit above the air cell but I can still see him squirming in the air cell. I was talking to him and he was talking back to me and it was so so cute!
But should I take off the cracked pieces of eggshell or wait for him to do his thing?

And then I need some advice for Lilac.
It's been almost three days since they all started to internally pip and Lilac still can't internally pip, she doesn't seem to be able to get through the air cell. I've looked and looked and I see no bruises.
Should I make a hole in the air cell and try to pierce the membrane so she can breath or what?
She might not be facing the air cell but I don't know why she wouldn't make any bruises the way shes facing if shes not facing the air cell.