Hands on hatching and help

[Redhead Rae]

I was too worried last night because I wasn’t confident in how to properly assist a hatch. But I am excited to say that early this morning, we have a newly hatched baby duckling!!

Good to know! I was trying to get the duck folks to look at your issue. I'm confident talking about assisting chicks, but ducks are a different beast (pun intended) and have their own idiosyncrasies. I've never hatched ducks so I don't know the rules about helping them.

 

[WVduckchick]

Good to know! I was trying to get the duck folks to look at your issue. I'm confident talking about assisting chicks, but ducks are a different beast (pun intended) and have their own idiosyncrasies. I've never hatched ducks so I don't know the rules about helping them.

Other than waiting a little longer from initial pip for ducks, the basic process is the same. Ducks just commonly take up to 48 hours to zip, where chickens are a bit quicker. And ducks tend to pip multiple times before they actually start zipping. But overall, assisting is similar. Just slower. Lol

@Exnerk glad your little one made it out. Did you assist at all, or did it make it on its own? Congrats!! Post pics when you get a chance.

 

[StormsnSaugeye]

Very VERY quick summary.
Yesterday I found an abandoned nest. It was confirmed abandoned and 2 eggs were dead, one duckling hatched, and 2 still alive. Duckling was adopted by someone else and I took care of the eggs. Something I've noticed is that they both seem to have issues actually breaking the outer membrane adjacent to the shell. They will both peck at it and cause quite a swatch of broken shell, but I had to put a hole in both. And the first one to hatch had a heck of a time and needed a gentle guiding hand out.

Is this a malposition of some kind? The first one began to turn but obstructed its own air supply. And seemed to be having some kind of difficulty even breaking the outer membrane. I went ahead and opened up a hole for the other one to breath and it's still absorbing. But this is 2 in a row that have this issue. I suspect the abandoned nest being left out in the sun for a full day before I stepped in to help might have affected the egg conditions a bit. But I could really use a second opinion in understanding this anomalous condition. I've hatched dozens of ducks in the last few years and these are the first two that seriously needed help aside from a batch of call ducks a few years ago.

 

[blaccko]

Help!!!

I'm on day 21 of incubation. Day 21 finished at noon today actually.

A lot of eggs opened earlier then they were suppose, from Tuesday night until this morning. I have 4 eggs that are still alive (breathing), but shrinkwraped. I tried to take off the membrane, but it started bleeding. I don't think they can get out by themself due to their membrane. Should I continue to help even with the blood?

Thanks a lot! I don't know what to do!!!

 

[aart]

. Should I continue to help even with the blood?

When assisting a hatch, if bleeding happens when removing membrane, stop.
use coconut oil to moisten membrane, or something like neosporin ointment, not water.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

 

[blaccko]

Thanks! He is out and fine now

 

[PrincessKiara]

I used to assist every chick, but got yelled at by the guy who sells me my eggs, claiming that I was going to make chicks hatch weak with leg issues. I stopped helping and since then two chicks (one silkie, one button quail) have been born with spraddle leg where I had none before.

 

[PalomaNova]

Chick didn't hatch, day 24. After introducing safety hole no chirping was heard. Should I wait 18 hours to try to peel further away or its good as gone since no sound?

 

[PrincessKiara]

Chick didn't hatch, day 24. After introducing safety hole no chirping was heard. Should I wait 18 hours to try to peel further away or its good as gone since no sound?

You can peel off the entire top of the egg over the air cell. That will allow you to see if the chick is still alive and, if so, when you can safely peel away the membrane. It looks different when it's empty of blood.

 

[WVduckchick]

Chick didn't hatch, day 24. After introducing safety hole no chirping was heard. Should I wait 18 hours to try to peel further away or its good as gone since no sound?

Candle and look for movement