Help! Crack at wrong end without pip

[My15Ducks]

Has your chick hatched?

 

[Wellsfamily7165]

Not yet, I got up around 6am to check progress and he was just screaming and it looked like there were no longer active blood vessels so I went ahead and help him out some more and put him back. I'm not sure why he's not just coming out on his own. Still not 100% what position he was in when he cracked the end of the egg but he looks like he's moved around the right way. He's either cracked it by accident moving around or he's turned himself around ?? when I first opened it up I cound see a foot and now all I see is beak and wing like you would expect. I'm trying to give him more time but if he starts screaming again I may go ahead and finish helping him

 

[Wellsfamily7165]

Also, I still have several unmatched eggs, one pipped overnight. Starting to think I may some late bloomers...maybe thermometer hasn't been accurate this whole time and slowed some down...not sure yet

 

[Wellsfamily7165]

He just finished coming out on his own, you can see he still had a tiny bit of yolk left stuck to him. One of the others that hatched yesterday had a little as well that I ended up having to snip with some scissors once it got up and started running around the incubator and dragging the yolk with it. Hoping he'll rest a little and maybe absorb the rest. If he starts running around with it like the other I'll snip his as well. He makes #4 and now have 3 more pipped with one trying to unzip so hopefully the rest will hatch throughout today

 

[My15Ducks]

You can put the chick in a bowl or cup lined with paper towel inside the incubator to finish absorbing the yolk. If it’s just the umbilical that’s attached, that’s not going to absorb. It will just dry up and fall off. I can’t tell from the pictures.

 

[Wellsfamily7165]

Just had another hatch and it also still had a little yoke left. The others that hatched just had umbilical but I've had 3 total now that still had some yolk left, not a huge amount but definitely yoke......something must have been off this whole time for them to be at day 23 and still not having absorbed all their yoke when they're hatching out....thinking maybe temp hasn't been reading right this whole time

 

[My15Ducks]

It does sound like temperature was too low.
I hope all your babies are healthy and strong!

 

[Wellsfamily7165]

Pretty sure my incubator is junk at this point....Definitely returning it after this. Lesson learned tho, next time I'll have a better incubator and will keep back up thermometers and hygrometers. One of the others that had pipped this morning, died within 4-5hrs of doing so. It somehow managed to break through the shell but not the membrane and suffocated. It never occurred to me to check on it, the other that pipped around same time hatched out no problem but still had a little yolk left. I ended up candling the rest after that incident because I wasn't seeing any movement from them and on day 23, and getting close to day 24. Found 3 that were fully developed but had died for some reason without even making an internal pip , 2 quitters, and 3 more that were malpositioned. I've got the 3 left that I've been following same procedure as the first little guy who thankfully made it out on his own after a few rounds of assistance. Hoping these last 3 make it as well. One is ready but I'm trying to let him do it on his own and the other 2 still clearly have yolk and active blood vessels.....seems like some of them really lagged behind on development. I've been a nurse for over 20yrs but this is my 1st time trying to hatch my own babies and it's been nerve wracking and I'm far from an excitable person....feel like people are easier to assess at this point...lol. I do have 5 healthy babies and hoping to have 3 more soon...started out with 14 eggs at lock down.

 

[Wellsfamily7165]

They're finally all done, lost 2 more...they just never finished absorbing their yolk and eventually died without ever hatching and had another survive that I had to help along although I'm not sure it was the best thing to do. He seems to have some neurological issue. He just wants to keep throwing himself backwards and just lays there kicking his little legs and can't get flipped back upright. I've put him upright repeatedly but he immediately flips back over. I read somewhere that sometimes they can be helped if you can keep them upright for a couple days. I cut the end out of a large plastic egg and put him inside in upright position which has calmed him down and made him more comfortable if nothing else.....I'm sure it's a long shot but couldn't just leave him to lay there kicking and miserable til he dies. I feel like I should've left him on his own because he probably would've been better off had he not made it if this is condition he'll be in. ...but I didn't so now I'm trying to do what I can for him.

 

[My15Ducks]

I’m so sorry about the ones who didn’t make it. It’s so sad when babies die. It does sound like your incubator is at fault - or just the thermometer.

For the baby with neurological issues, I would give it vitamin E daily. Vitamin E deficiency can cause neurological issues in poultry. Also if you have electrolyte or nutri drench you could give it that.

My duckling had pretty bad neurological issues, falling on her back, bent neck, freaking out about everything. Vitamin E did the trick but it was a slow recovery