HELP ASAP! Ducks Hatching Question!! HELP!

[AnconaDuck]

OK, so we are hatching our first set of duck eggs in our Incubator. We have never hatched eggs in an incubator, we have always relied on our ducks/hens to do it for us. Our humidity is good and the water tray is stll full enough. My question is this-

The 2 ducklings due to hatch started pipping yesterday. OK, so we didn't open the lid of the incubator and we checked the humidity level. Things are going fine. This morning, the one duckling had pipped more around the egg, while the other duckling has pipped a giant hole, and has it's bill, wing, and one of its feet out the hole. I know that we aren't suppossed to open the lid because of the humidity, but the bird appears to be in a such a position that it cannot move its head to continur pipping. The other bird has not made its presence known yet, but it continues to slowly and steadily pip around the egg. So, should we risk the humidity and help this other bird, or let what happens happen. Dont take this the wrong way, but these birds are out of a special duck that we lost the day after we put these eggs in the incubator. If they were "ordinary" ducks I don't think I would be panicking this much!! I Know this whole process can take up to 48 hrs, but I still worried...AHHH!

Thanks for your help

 

[AnconaDuck]

Maybe I am just paranoyed

Ill let the bird be....we'll see what happens. Patience I guess

 

[duck&chickencrazy]

well how long has it been so far and if it has been more than 48 hours you can help them out...try going to this post

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=48726

or you can ask silkiechicken for some help...she helped me when i had chicks in the eggs to long

 

[rbseggs]

do not open it until the other one is out and fluffed up. If there is no progress in the "stuck one" by then you can help carefully. Just tap and crack a little bit at a time. Do not pull the duck out of the egg make him push out himself. good luck

 

[AnconaDuck]

Thanks

The bird has been "stuck" like this for 8 hours now....maybe that isn't a long time in terms of hatching. Total since the pipping, 32 hours or so.

I can see its wing, leg, and bill now through the hole. lol looks uncomfortable. The hole is the size of a dime, more towards the larger end of the egg. The other duckling is pipping a "zip" pattern around the egg near the large end (good duck!).

Anyway, thanks again. I will restrain myself from doing anything untill tomorrow morning (48 hrs).

Hopefully we will have lill ducks!

 

[Shanay235]

JMO here but after 8 hours like this, I'd probably help a little. Not much, just enough to where his head is free and let him finish the rest on his own.
GOOD LUCK..............

 

[Wifezilla]

After 8 hours I would feel the need to help...but I have only hatched 2 ducks. Don't take my word for it.

 

[TheDuckCrew]

when i open my bator to turn the eggs, i put a heavy beach towel over the top. i can then keep the bator mostly seeled and i don't lose too much humidity. if you need to help him, i'd use the beach towel over the top. good luck! i hope your babies hatch okay!! keep us updated.

 

[AnconaDuck]

He has now pulled his leg in through the hole, and now I can just see his adorable little webbed foot. Hmm....He his breathing OK and still peeping, So I am going to give him a little time and hopefully he can work it out

 

[LilDucky85]

My first hatch just completed. I had the same problem with 2 of my ducks. I opened the bator (although its a no no) and helped both. One was in the middle of the hatch and the other was the last of the hatch. I just broke away a eraser size hole and thats all it took for them to bust out. I didnt want to help but one was stuck this way for at least 10 hours, and the other several hours too. Once I saw 3 other eggs go from pip to out in less than hours, and that one with no progress I helped. When I had to open the LG I just misted the inside real good as I shut it. No one stuck, and my humidity never dropped. 8 out of 9 lived and made it! The one pipped and died the next day (died already before I opened the bator).