HELP!! Duck embryo looks like it's stuck to the side of the egg

[sumi]

I think what you would like to do is give the egg a few more days and see what happens? I can't see that it would hurt to give it time for a miracle, but be open-minded too…

It dang hard to know what to do with these little lives sometimes...

 

[Pamzie]

If I were to open the egg a bit and look through the air sack, if it was a healthy normal baby, would it survive if I put it back in the bator at day 24? Lockdown is tomorrow.

 

[sumi]

Judging by the candling pics…. Rather don't do that. Once you open the shell you make the embryo very, very vulnerable. Controlling moisture loss would be hard too and the egg would be fragile.

How about waiting a few days and checking to see how it does?

 

[Pamzie]

That is probably what I'll do. At least wait a few more days and see. If it is stuck to the shell, I don't think I'll be able to pip tho

 

[sumi]

If it does show signs that it's getting to be fully developed and can hatch, you can assist, but right now, it doesn't look near ready. I went back and looked at the candling pics again and I think, not knowing better, anything from 1-2 weeks development?

 

[Pamzie]

And isn't it really odd how it's stuck to the side of the shell? Even when I turn it, it's still on that side and it's been turn 5x per day just like the others!

 

[sumi]

I have seen embryos develop like that and they almost always turned out fine. Personally I find it bit less stressful when they float around the middle of the egg though.

 

[Pamzie]

Yes. Me too.
When I lockdown tomorrow, do I up the humidity right away or after I see an internal pip?

 

[sumi]

I usually increase the humidity right away, but since they won't (shouldn't) start hatching immediately, it won't matter if you increase it slowly, or a little late. I've had some chicks surprise me by pipping already as I went to lock them down and they were fine. You don't have to incubate and hatch them "by the book" as long they have the required high humidity when needed and that would be any time from lockdown onwards.

 

[casportpony]

If it were mine I would just leave it alone and hope for the best.