Hands on hatching and help

[Kilkilkorken]

I'm at the 20 hour mark now with no external pip. Checked and the baby is still peeping and moving around. I really don't want to have to give it an air hole, I'm deathly afraid I'm going to hurt it. I'm scared the little Serama egg is just going to crumble under the pressure.

 

[RubyNala97]

So I should wait the full 24 hours (unless I feel like the chick is in distress and not doing well) and then proceed to make a safety hole for oxygen, correct? I am going to go check on it again now and pray it's still peeping good. 

You're doing good. I know how bad you want this baby. When the chick internally pips it started breathing oxygen and releasing co2. When the co2 builds to a high enough level it causes the neck to spasm and the beak to break through the shell (usually just a tiny crack at first). So there is a master plan and it's best to let it work that way but it doesn't always. I would give yourself a time and if no pip by then make the safety hole.

Good idea for chicken eggs... duck eggs are a bit trickier though...
Sharp screw like Ruby posted is best for duck eggs... twirling it til it starts to drill in works best...

I accidentally stabbed a duck bill with a push pin... it was fine bht not fun... :/

Yes, that pic was actually Mavis! (a duck egg)

With the last batch I was so scared of hitting a bill. The duck bills are a lot larger then little chick beaks. I would candle right before and aim for the opposite side of the air cell.

Okay. 16 hours since I checked and saw that they baby Serama chick was internally pipped. I wasn't watching closely before that so I don't know how long it had really been internally pipped. The baby is still chirping in the egg,...maybe with a little less vigor, but I can hear a scratching noise. Still no sign of external pip. I feel like I want to throw up, lol. I just need this baby to pip and give me a sign that it's good. I'm becoming more and more nervous. EEEeeeeekkkkkkkk!  

Did you use the screw method? I've really got to get my ducks in a row, no pun intended lol, and have everything prepared for tonight if I have to do the same for my egg. How tedious is it? I'm so scared I'm going to crack the egg more than it's supposed to be. It's extremely tiny. 

Yes, get all set up and practice on grocery store eggs if you need too. I practiced on all my dos eggs when I first started hatching. The hardest part for me is applying a lot of controlled pressure in only one area. I feel like I'm squeezing the egg so hard! I still don't like doing it but with call duck eggs it's usually a must. I think I've only had to put safety holes in one or two chicken eggs.
And a quail and a pea egg.

Oh my gosh, its unreal. My poor phone is getting overloaded again with pics!

But....I do have 2 sets of eggs on their way to me now! Should arrive tomorrow and Friday. My bator has been turned off for almost 3 weeks. I'm getting the shakes

I'm setting eggs tonight. I think I hit almost a month!! I figured I have enough time to hand turn for the first 12 days and then I'll put on the auto turner and I'm home from vaca for lockdown!

 

[jenniferlamar70]

K need some help guys my last duckling finally hatched but it's navel isn't healed and its bleeding quite a bit. I don't know what to do. Should I put corn starch on it?

 

[Ravynscroft]

K need some help guys my last duckling finally hatched but it's navel isn't healed and its bleeding quite a bit. I don't know what to do. Should I put corn starch on it?

Yes, definitely... they can bleed out kinda quick...

 

[jenniferlamar70]

Yes, definitely... they can bleed out kinda quick...

Ok I put the cornstarch on and stopped the bleeding before we spoke. I wasn't sure about putting it on the open bellybutton portion. I just did it and no more bleeding. Duckling is in the incubator. She is still breathing and seems to be sleeping.

 

[jenniferlamar70]

What do I do for the bellybutton? I've never seen anything like this...

 

[Ravynscroft]

Ok I put the cornstarch on and stopped the bleeding before we spoke. I wasn't sure about putting it on the open bellybutton portion. I just did it and no more bleeding. Duckling is in the incubator. She is still breathing and seems to be sleeping.

You did good...

If the bleeding doesn't stop there wouldn't even be a chance of infection... better to risk it than not... just leave her in there til it dries up and she gets good and mobile... later you can clean off the navel and dab some antibiotic on it if needed...

Bloodstop is a good thing fo keep on hand, most has an antibiotic in it... think it goes by Quikstop too...

 

[RubyNala97]

What do I do for the bellybutton? I've never seen anything like this...

Do you have any vetericyn spray? I had the same thing happen and I didn't think fast enough to put the vetericyn spray on it, I just took a qtip and covered it in bacitracin and it was almost 100% in a few hours.

 

[jenniferlamar70]

You did good...

If the bleeding doesn't stop there wouldn't even be a chance of infection... better to risk it than not... just leave her in there til it dries up and she gets good and mobile... later you can clean off the navel and dab some antibiotic on it if needed...

Bloodstop is a good thing fo keep on hand, most has an antibiotic in it... think it goes by Quikstop too...

Ok I'll have to go grab some without pain relief. I'll do that shortly. Her bellybutton is like sticking out a bit. What causes that? She is the last one to hatch. Could it have been the high humidity?

 

[RubyNala97]

I had a silkie hen over heat today! It was super hot, like 95 and humid. Never had that happen before. She was in a corner in the run, panting like crazy-nonstop and breathing so fast. She couldn't move. I brought her some ice water and she only would take a couple sips. I know ducks control their body temp through their feet, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to soak her feet in cold water. It did the trick in no time! Then the boys were trying to mate her right after she was back on her feet. I was so mad at those slime balls! I swatted them with a towel anytime they went near her. Can't a girl get a break when she doesn't feel good?!!