Hatching duckling problem

[Suzietheduck]

Hello.
I have a problem with hatching a muscovy duckling. My 1year old duck just wouldn't stop being broody, so after 2 months of sitting on an empty nest I finally gave up and gave her 3 eggs, on 31.8. around 10am. I was candling the eggs regularly since she lets me handle them. On day 4 there was 1 infertile egg and the other two seemed to be developing nice. Then on day 9 there was something different with one of the eggs, it looked like there was a fluid filled bube in the middle, and by day 11 the embryo had died. So I wasleft with only 1 viable egg.
The remaining egg pipped inteenally on Tuesday, 29.9. between 7 and 9:30pm. Yesterday evening, around midnight, it still hasn't pipped externally, so I made a small safety hole the size of a needle near the spot where the baby was trying to pip. When there was still no progress today around 10, I decided to make the hole a bit bigger, just to see what's going on. The duckling seemd fine, it started to calm down after pounding on the shell like crazy for so long and started yawning and chewing. At 8pm there was still no progress, but the duckling seems fine, stil yawning and cheewing and peeping. My concern is that the membrane would get dry and suffocate it through the night, is it ok that the inner membrane is touching the duckling or is it shrinkwrapped? I can't really moisten it with coconut oil since the hole is too small to fit a dipstick in. Should I leavevas it is or try to make a bigger hole and moisten the membrane?

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Hello.
I have a problem with hatching a muscovy duckling. My 1year old duck just wouldn't stop being broody, so after 2 months of sitting on an empty nest I finally gave up and gave her 3 eggs, on 31.8. around 10am. I was candling the eggs regularly since she lets me handle them. On day 4 there was 1 infertile egg and the other two seemed to be developing nice. Then on day 9 there was something different with one of the eggs, it looked like there was a fluid filled bube in the middle, and by day 11 the embryo had died. So I wasleft with only 1 viable egg.
The remaining egg pipped inteenally on Tuesday, 29.9. between 7 and 9:30pm. Yesterday evening, around midnight, it still hasn't pipped externally, so I made a small safety hole the size of a needle near the spot where the baby was trying to pip. When there was still no progress today around 10, I decided to make the hole a bit bigger, just to see what's going on. The duckling seemd fine, it started to calm down after pounding on the shell like crazy for so long and started yawning and chewing. At 8pm there was still no progress, but the duckling seems fine, stil yawning and cheewing and peeping. My concern is that the membrane would get dry and suffocate it through the night, is it ok that the inner membrane is touching the duckling or is it shrinkwrapped? I can't really moisten it with coconut oil since the hole is too small to fit a dipstick in. Should I leavevas it is or try to make a bigger hole and moisten the membrane?

Is the membrane still white and papery or is it turning brown?
Ducks can take a very long time to hatch. Chances are it is fine...
But since you have already made a hole, if it were mine I would go ahead and take off the air cell end of the egg and moisten the membrane so you can better watch what's happening.
Read here first.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

 

[Suzietheduck]

The outer membrane turned a bit brown on the end without the shell, the inner membrane looks fine I think. The blood vessels are visibly drying off over the past few hours, but they are still visible. If I take off the air cell end, how often do I need to moisten the membrane?
This is how the egg looks like now:

 

[shawluvsbirds]

The outer membrane turned a bit brown on the end without the shell, the inner membrane looks fine I think. The blood vessels are visibly drying off over the past few hours, but they are still visible. If I take off the air cell end, how often do I need to moisten the membrane?
This is how the egg looks like now:View attachment 2356134

That looks okay so far from the part I can see.
When you moisten the membrane you will be able to see the blood vessels and tell if they're full of blood or not.
I usually do it just every couple of hours but it will depend on the humidity in your incubator. the first thing I like to do if there are no blood vessels in the way is peel a little of that membrane back off of their nostril and work towards peeling it back off of the eye.
You don't want that to dry up and get stuck to those two places.
Totally up to you how you want to proceed, the way it is now as long as it's not getting shrink wrapped it can still turn and zip out on its own.
It's a gamble either way.

 

[Suzietheduck]

The egg isn't in te incubator, it's in the nest with a broody duck. Is it safe to do this in the nest, where nest material can get on the exposed membrane? I really need rhis little guy to be alive, because momma duck won't stop sitting on the nest otherwise and she is already really skinny, since she has been sitting for the past 3 months or so...
It doesn't really look like the duckling would be in distress, but I want to do everything in my power to keep it alive

 

[shawluvsbirds]

The egg isn't in te incubator, it's in the nest with a broody duck. Is it safe to do this in the nest, where nest material can get on the exposed membrane? I really need rhis little guy to be alive, because momma duck won't stop sitting on the nest otherwise and she is already really skinny, since she has been sitting for the past 3 months or so...
It doesn't really look like the duckling would be in distress, but I want to do everything in my power to keep it alive

Oh no.
I assumed you were incubating I'm sorry. No it's really not a good idea to assist any farther than you already have and leave it under mama.
I have learned that the hard way and found them smushed.
Best bet is to just leave it now imo.
If it's not out by tomorrow you could bring it inside and just put it under a warm lamp and continue the assist.
I have done that several times Once they are that close to hatching.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

But if you do go that route be warned sometimes once you take an egg in and hatch it inside the mama duck won't take it back.
If it does not make it, she will eventually get over it.
Just destroy her nest everyday and make her get up.

 

[Suzietheduck]

Thank you for your help. I tried to moisten what I could reach without making a bigger hole and will wait until tomorrow.
Yes I know that if I take it away she will probably reject it, so I don't want to do that if it's not really necessary.

 

[Suzietheduck]

I actually gave her the eggs because I couldn't break her broodiness. I was taking the eggs right when she layed them, tear up her nest, took away the nesting material and put a net over the spot she chose, but it didn't stop her. She was sitting on top of the net and would ran right back when I put her of to eat. I tried everything because I really didn't want ducklings, but at the end I felt like I have no choice, she was very skinny and weak, so I gave up. I don't think she would survive sitting on the nest much longer

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Thank you for your help. I tried to moisten what I could reach without making a bigger hole and will wait until tomorrow.
Yes I know that if I take it away she will probably reject it, so I don't want to do that if it's not really necessary.

hopefully it will go ahead and hatch! Sometimes I believe the mama ducks help them out too if they get to the point they start really peeping and throwing a fit.