Hands on hatching and help

[Eggrolls Mom]

if you heard chirping last night, then yes, i would probably go ahead with a small hole, before going to bed.
Personally, i try to get close to the bill, but wherever you are comfortable making it is fine. It's just to allow more air in, just in case she's slow.

Some use a screw, like a drywall screw and find it fairly easy to twist in. I scratch the surface with a knife (actually a seam ripper, since my bator is in my sewing room lol) until i feel the shell getting thin, then i take a straight pin and lightly flick the shell upward, then barely pierce the membrane, and make a slit. Make sure its open. It doesn't take much.

Eta - obviously handle carefully!

You are my hero, I will do that tonight and be super duper careful not to injure little Eggroll. I can't thank you enough!

 

[WVduckchick]

You are my hero, I will do that tonight and be super duper careful not to injure little Eggroll. I can't thank you enough!

Good luck! please let us know how it goes!

 

[Eggrolls Mom]

Good luck! please let us know how it goes!

Soooo I figured waiting until i was like asleep wouldn't be smart. So I scraped and scraped a wee little spot so now there's the tiniest hole in his shell right where his beak was. He immediately stuck his little snooter right by it for several seconds then started chirping loud and pecking. He seems like maybe hes gone to bed for the night lol. Less chirping but still a few pecks here & there. What should l look for next?

 

[BlueShadow]

My mama guinea left her nest late this afternoon. Tonight after evening chores, I went looking for it, and I found it. Problem is, there were 5 eggs not hatched, 4 are cracked and at least 2 are still peeping. Is there anything I can do to help them?

 

[WVduckchick]

Soooo I figured waiting until i was like asleep wouldn't be smart. So I scraped and scraped a wee little spot so now there's the tiniest hole in his shell right where his beak was. He immediately stuck his little snooter right by it for several seconds then started chirping loud and pecking. He seems like maybe hes gone to bed for the night lol. Less chirping but still a few pecks here & there. What should l look for next?

Next comes a "real" external pip! Probably within the next few hours, he will bang the shell hard enough to break it. Then you could have possibly another 24 hours. Get some sleep tonite, because tomorrow night you may have less chance of getting any.

 

[WVduckchick]

My mama guinea left her nest late this afternoon. Tonight after evening chores, I went looking for it, and I found it. Problem is, there were 5 eggs not hatched, 4 are cracked and at least 2 are still peeping. Is there anything I can do to help them?

If you think she isn't coming back to them, do you have an incubator??

 

[Eggrolls Mom]

Next comes a "real" external pip! Probably within the next few hours, he will bang the shell hard enough to break it. Then you could have possibly another 24 hours. Get some sleep tonite, because tomorrow night you may have less chance of getting any.

Ahhhhhh so eggcited he might be a contender for the most spoiled duck on the planet. WVduckchick you may be on the receiving end of duck momma photos since my husband is more excited about leftovers at this point than eggys arrival.

 

[BlueShadow]

If you think she isn't coming back to them, do you have an incubator??

No way she is coming back. She had left with her 23 hatchlings and was headed back to the coop. I caught them and penned her up. I had no idea there were even more in the nest! (I was surprised I even found it)

My good incubator is on loan, but I started up the OLD still air incubator, put in some wet rags for humidity, and put vaseline on the hatchling with the exposed membrane. Anything else I can do other than wait?

 

[WVduckchick]

Ahhhhhh so eggcited he might be a contender for the most spoiled duck on the planet. WVduckchick you may be on the receiving end of duck momma photos since my husband is more excited about leftovers at this point than eggys arrival.

Is this gonna be a lone duckling?

No way she is coming back. She had left with her 23 hatchlings and was headed back to the coop. I caught them and penned her up. I had no idea there were even more in the nest! (I was surprised I even found it)

My good incubator is on loan, but I started up the OLD still air incubator, put in some wet rags for humidity, and put vaseline on the hatchling with the exposed membrane. Anything else I can do other than wait?

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that one looks like it started to zip, or she helped crack it open. If you want, you could probably go ahead and chip the whole air cell end of the shell off. With that much of a hole, I'm not sure it could zip on its own now.

Or you can give it a little time and see how active it is.

Just please keep in mind, if she left them, there's a possibility that something is wrong, and she knew it. But with that many chicks, she may have just decided enough was enough.

 

[BlueShadow]

that one looks like it started to zip, or she helped crack it open. If you want, you could probably go ahead and chip the whole air cell end of the shell off. With that much of a hole, I'm not sure it could zip on its own now.

Or you can give it a little time and see how active it is.

Just please keep in mind, if she left them, there's a possibility that something is wrong, and she knew it. But with that many chicks, she may have just decided enough was enough.

Since it was late afternoon, I suspect she wanted to get back to the coop before sunset. I don't know exactly when they left the nest, but based on when/where we found them, it was about 4 pm.

They were late hatchers for sure, and I didn't find them until 9 pm. Plenty of time to cool off and dry out. I am not expecting wonders, but since I found them, I feel like I need to at least TRY. And I want to give them the best shot they can have.