Hey all!
So hatched some Muscovies! For those who have never had these guys wow! If cuteness had a baby it would me a Muscovy duckling.
Anyhoo this is my 3rd time successfully hatching them so wasnt too worried. Hatching time was a little more spread out then in the past. That may be because this was the first time I had mom Muscovy do part of the incubating. 6 had hatched and there was 2 left, one pipped one not. After almost 48 hours with no progress I checked. Candling reviled that the one that had not pipped died. Opened it up and its yolk sack was completely un-absorbed. Now this made me very concerned about the one that had pipped. Was it able to get out? Candling told me it was still alive. Assuming the dead duckling had died a while ago and this pipped duck must be stuck I made the choice to open it up. Mistake, It too had a yolk sack completely un-absorbed and it was alive! I was thinking "Bonehaead, bonehead! You know better. I should of just let it be!" I have only forced and egg open once when the membrane had dried around a chick. But that chick was done developing, this duckling had another half day to go at least.
What could I do? I cant put it in the brooder It would die. It just needed more time to grow. I then remembered that my sister had left a bunch of clear plastic cups after Easter. Took a cup, a paper towel and moisten it with sterile warm water. Placed the duckling inside still wet then caped it using foil. Poked holes for ventilation. I placed it in the incubator, kinda an incubator in an incubator. I was not thinking it would make it. I know the odds of an un-absorbed yolk and this one was completely out. After about 6 hours I could definitely see the yolk was being absorbed. After 12 hours it was almost all the way absorbed and the duckling started pushing out of the cup. I then placed the duckling in a small container next to the brooder, so it could get heat from the light. It was still not out of the woods.
This duckling was not right. Could not lay on its tummy or hold its neck up, eyes closed all the time. A couple times it got very lethargic. I gave it a little sugar water, seemed to help. After hours it still could not hold its neck up. When it got to be one in the morning I had to go to bed. Reluctantly I left it and went to sleep, not knowing what I would wake to
5 in the morning Im up! After letting the puppy outside I rushed to see the duckling. I get there and its gone, not in the container. Oh no, it must of flopped out in the night. I was certain I was going to find it dead in the room somewhere. I did find it, nestled next to the big brooder. It seemed much better, holding its head up, moving around and peeping.
Well its now been over 48 hours since I forced her out before she was ready. She is doing great! Walking, eating, drinking, holding her head up. She now looks completely normal. I fact she is doing so well that I could not tell her apart from one of her hatch mates. I had to look the picture of her in the incubator to tell them apart.
All in all lesson learned. It is hard not to get anxious when hatching eggs. Just let them be. Nature knows what its doing.
This was taken 6 hours after I opened the egg.
This is 36 hours after
So hatched some Muscovies! For those who have never had these guys wow! If cuteness had a baby it would me a Muscovy duckling.
Anyhoo this is my 3rd time successfully hatching them so wasnt too worried. Hatching time was a little more spread out then in the past. That may be because this was the first time I had mom Muscovy do part of the incubating. 6 had hatched and there was 2 left, one pipped one not. After almost 48 hours with no progress I checked. Candling reviled that the one that had not pipped died. Opened it up and its yolk sack was completely un-absorbed. Now this made me very concerned about the one that had pipped. Was it able to get out? Candling told me it was still alive. Assuming the dead duckling had died a while ago and this pipped duck must be stuck I made the choice to open it up. Mistake, It too had a yolk sack completely un-absorbed and it was alive! I was thinking "Bonehaead, bonehead! You know better. I should of just let it be!" I have only forced and egg open once when the membrane had dried around a chick. But that chick was done developing, this duckling had another half day to go at least.
What could I do? I cant put it in the brooder It would die. It just needed more time to grow. I then remembered that my sister had left a bunch of clear plastic cups after Easter. Took a cup, a paper towel and moisten it with sterile warm water. Placed the duckling inside still wet then caped it using foil. Poked holes for ventilation. I placed it in the incubator, kinda an incubator in an incubator. I was not thinking it would make it. I know the odds of an un-absorbed yolk and this one was completely out. After about 6 hours I could definitely see the yolk was being absorbed. After 12 hours it was almost all the way absorbed and the duckling started pushing out of the cup. I then placed the duckling in a small container next to the brooder, so it could get heat from the light. It was still not out of the woods.
This duckling was not right. Could not lay on its tummy or hold its neck up, eyes closed all the time. A couple times it got very lethargic. I gave it a little sugar water, seemed to help. After hours it still could not hold its neck up. When it got to be one in the morning I had to go to bed. Reluctantly I left it and went to sleep, not knowing what I would wake to
5 in the morning Im up! After letting the puppy outside I rushed to see the duckling. I get there and its gone, not in the container. Oh no, it must of flopped out in the night. I was certain I was going to find it dead in the room somewhere. I did find it, nestled next to the big brooder. It seemed much better, holding its head up, moving around and peeping.
Well its now been over 48 hours since I forced her out before she was ready. She is doing great! Walking, eating, drinking, holding her head up. She now looks completely normal. I fact she is doing so well that I could not tell her apart from one of her hatch mates. I had to look the picture of her in the incubator to tell them apart.
All in all lesson learned. It is hard not to get anxious when hatching eggs. Just let them be. Nature knows what its doing.
This was taken 6 hours after I opened the egg.
This is 36 hours after
