Help!!! Air cell too big!!!

[Miss Lydia]

I’m so sorry, there is such a fine line between helping and letting them work out themselves it’s so hard to know when to step in. Please don’t beat yourself up. We all learn valuable lessons from these things and heartbreak and second guessing is part of it. Poor little ones tried their best. Now you have a little duckling that needs you so hopefully you can find a few ducklings to put with it. While searching give the little one a stuffed animal and a mirror. And of course you! Please share a picture when you can.

 

[bex1983]

I’m so sorry, there is such a fine line between helping and letting them work out themselves it’s so hard to know when to step in. Please don’t beat yourself up. We all learn valuable lessons from these things and heartbreak and second guessing is part of it. Poor little ones tried their best. Now you have a little duckling that needs you so hopefully you can find a few ducklings to put with it. While searching give the little one a stuffed animal and a mirror. And of course you! Please share a picture when you can.

Thank you. Last hatch I helped one successfully but felt if I had left it alone to begin with I wouldn’t have needed to help in the end. Some of his membrane got stuck to him because from the same kind of hole the guy who died with his beak out had, I chipped some away but stopped because of veins, so his membrane still dried out a bit. I just forced myself to sit on my hands this time and wish I hadn’t.

Should I give stuffed animal and mirror even while still in the incubator?

 

[Miss Lydia]

No wait till brooder. What breed?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Just so hard to know when to help. We have some very experienced hatchers on BYC who will stay with you through it all so next time you do this be sure to call out. @WVduckchick is awesome to stick by an help @Texas Kiki is another. @Pyxis. And others. Just let us know when you need help. I don’t have the nerve to try an incubator so I let my Muscovy’s an broody hens do all the work.

 

[jolenesdad]

Oh no! I’m so sorry you had such a traumatic experience! Second guess and learn later, do not be hard on yourself at all. There are many, many, many who don’t believe in assisting at all, for many reasons, so please do not feel like the result would have been different, there is absolutely no way to know and just as much chance it could have ended the same way. It’s impossible to be there for everything or know when to be.

Let’s focus on the baby destined to be your little bestie right now! Are you a part of the various Facebook groups? I would post there to see if we can find someone local quick with age appropriate birds. Let me know if you are not or need help. Then I would call all the local feed stores tomorrow morning. While TSC isn’t doing chicks right now, my local feed store still is each week. One also could be doing an order early this week that you could jump onto.

Lastly, most of the hatcheries will let you still order for shipping on Monday if you call Monday morning.

When I’ve had a solo loud mouth or particularly attached baby I tuck them under my chin. I’ve got a scruffy beard, it’s warm, and my hands are at least free.

A baggy sweater pocket works well too.

We would love to see photos when the baby is out!!!

 

[quackiemama]

I’m so sorry, there is such a fine line between helping and letting them work out themselves it’s so hard to know when to step in. Please don’t beat yourself up. We all learn valuable lessons from these things and heartbreak and second guessing is part of it. Poor little ones tried their best. Now you have a little duckling that needs you so hopefully you can find a few ducklings to put with it. While searching give the little one a stuffed animal and a mirror. And of course you! Please share a picture when you can.

Ditto!

 

[bex1983]

Thank you everyone for the encouraging words. I jumped on Facebook to a duck sale/rehoming page and found someone with some mix breed ducks (not the Anconas I was hatching, but I cannot be picky at the moment) also hatched yesterday so I am going to pick 2 up before mine is even ready to come out of the incubator (my guy hatched late last night)....I will post pics of my lone survivor soon, right now I think he’s just sad, this is how I found him when I got home from church...

 

[bex1983]

Here’s a happier pic or two...

 

[bex1983]

No wait till brooder. What breed?

Ancona

 

[bex1983]

Oh no! I’m so sorry you had such a traumatic experience! Second guess and learn later, do not be hard on yourself at all. There are many, many, many who don’t believe in assisting at all, for many reasons, so please do not feel like the result would have been different, there is absolutely no way to know and just as much chance it could have ended the same way. It’s impossible to be there for everything or know when to be.

Let’s focus on the baby destined to be your little bestie right now! Are you a part of the various Facebook groups? I would post there to see if we can find someone local quick with age appropriate birds. Let me know if you are not or need help. Then I would call all the local feed stores tomorrow morning. While TSC isn’t doing chicks right now, my local feed store still is each week. One also could be doing an order early this week that you could jump onto.

Lastly, most of the hatcheries will let you still order for shipping on Monday if you call Monday morning.

When I’ve had a solo loud mouth or particularly attached baby I tuck them under my chin. I’ve got a scruffy beard, it’s warm, and my hands are at least free.

A baggy sweater pocket works well too.

We would love to see photos when the baby is out!!!

Thank you. I was able to find some
babies who just hatched yesterday as well, so exact same age. I have a feeling this little one will be a little extra spoiled and handled though lol.

I posted a few pics above but he’s still in the incubator. Poor baby keeps putting his head in his shell to sleep, even after he knocks it to the other side of the incubator...breaks my heart. I will have his friends before he needs to come out of the incubator so since all are the same age and within a day old hopefully there is no time needed for them to bond.