HELP! I assisted a duckling before internal pipping!

[Hamudazahabi]

Hello!
I have been incubating duck eggs for the first time. I placed 6 eggs in the incubator, 4 were fertilized and 2 were not, and then later one of the 4 died, so I am currently left with three eggs.

Yesterday was day 28, and all the eggs still didn't do internal pipping yet. I also realized there has been no movement since day 25 and so I thought the ducklings were having trouble. I only assisted one duckling first so that if anything is wrong, I won't risk all the eggs.

What I did yesterday was I made a hole in the egg shell at the top and confirmed that the air cell was not pipped yet. I then carefully opened the membrane but the bill was not found there. Since it was not moving, I was scared that it was malpositioned or something so I was afraid it chockes to death. I then removed the whole shell and brought the duckling out, and slowly removed all the albumen sticking on it. I did all that with sterilized tools.

I found its bill under its legs, so I moved its legs. It's body is fully complete, but it has not absorbed the yolk sac yet. I placed it in the incubator. The thing is it is not moving and it doesn't look like it's breathing yet, but it is still alive. I know its alive because it is still soft and has no bad smell. I left it in the incubator overnight and it's currently morning. Its body is still soft and it still has no bad smell. The yolk sac seems slightly smaller.

I don't know if it will absorb it fully, and I don't know when will it start breathing. I think I assisted early so I left the other eggs be without assisting them. I hope the duckling can survive.

I don't want people to tell me that what I opened it too early and shouldn't have because I already know that. I want people to help me know what to do next, and wether this duckling can survive or not.

 

[SilverBirds]

If it is not breathing or moving it is not alive. I'm sorry.
Even though you assisted early before it internally pipped it would be breathing now. The baby would also be wiggling a lot. It sounds like it had passed before you opened the egg.

 

[KathiQuacks]

I’m skeptical of baby being alive from your description.. but if you’re certain, get baby on a paper towel in a cup and on their feet, if possible.

Could you candle the remaining 2 eggs and send photos of them?

They’re very behind for day 29 now, it’s strange. Are you certain your temperatures have been correct?

 

[Hamudazahabi]

If it is not breathing or moving it is not alive. I'm sorry.
Even though you assisted early before it internally pipped it would be breathing now. The baby would also be wiggling a lot. It sounds like it had passed before you opened the egg.

I thought maybe it is still as if it was inside the egg shell were it won't be breathing since it didn't internally pip yet.

I’m skeptical of baby being alive from your description.. but if you’re certain, get baby on a paper towel in a cup and on their feet, if possible.

Could you candle the remaining 2 eggs and send photos of them?

They’re very behind for day 29 now, it’s strange. Are you certain your temperatures have been correct?

I also thought it's dead but it's been a whole day and the body didn't harden and didn't get a bad smell. One of its feet is kind of sticking to its yolk sac (with albumen) and so I don't think I could make it stand easily. I set the temperature to be 37.5°c the whole time and the humidity was usually 56 more or less and I increased it manually (I made the incubator) by adding a water box to the container, which increased the humidity to 79 more or less.

I don't know if it is breathing but it doesn't seem to be, and it is still soft until now, no bad smell whatsoever. Yesterday some blood came out of its bill but it wasn't so much. I don't think it will suddenly bleed if it was dead.

I will candle the other two and reply to this with the picture. By the way the breed is Khaki Campbell.

 

[The Birb King]

Just keep it warm for now and see what happens. You should never help a chick or duckling unless they have externally pipped and are taking more than 24 hours to hatch. My Marans always seem to get stuck in the egg for some reason, and when I had to help one out it started bleeding a lot, and I didn't think it would make it. Well its almost a month old now and doing great. As far as your little duckling there it probably wont survive sadly. Just don't make the same mistake with the remaining eggs.

 

[Hamudazahabi]

Just keep it warm for now and see what happens. You should never help a chick or duckling unless they have externally pipped and are taking more than 24 hours to hatch. My Marans always seem to get stuck in the egg for some reason, and when I had to help one out it started bleeding a lot, and I didn't think it would make it. Well its almost a month old now and doing great. As far as your little duckling there it probably wont survive sadly. Just don't make the same mistake with the remaining eggs.

The problem is all the eggs when candling show no movement at all for 3 days already so I thought it might be already dead, which is why I opened it to see because I thought if it's most likely going to die anyways, why not see if I can help. It was not connected to the egg with anything, and I didn't cut anything and it didn't bleed. If it's dead, then it was dead before I opened the egg. If it's alive then I hope it can survive and start breathing.

 

[The Birb King]

The problem is all the eggs when candling show no movement at all for 3 days already so I thought it might be already dead, which is why I opened it to see because I thought if it's most likely going to die anyways, why not see if I can help. It was not connected to the egg with anything, and I didn't cut anything and it didn't bleed. If it's dead, then it was dead before I opened the egg. If it's alive then I hope it can survive and start breathing.

Yea it probably was already dead. Might be something wrong with your incubator or something

 

[Hamudazahabi]

I thought maybe it is still as if it was inside the egg shell were it won't be breathing since it didn't internally pip yet.

I also thought it's dead but it's been a whole day and the body didn't harden and didn't get a bad smell. One of its feet is kind of sticking to its yolk sac (with albumen) and so I don't think I could make it stand easily. I set the temperature to be 37.5°c the whole time and the humidity was usually 56 more or less and I increased it manually (I made the incubator) by adding a water box to the container, which increased the humidity to 79 more or less.

I don't know if it is breathing but it doesn't seem to be, and it is still soft until now, no bad smell whatsoever. Yesterday some blood came out of its bill but it wasn't so much. I don't think it will suddenly bleed if it was dead.

I will candle the other two and reply to this with the picture. By the way the breed is Khaki Campbell.

Here are the pictures of the candled eggs:
The one that has a red thing on it didn't have it few days ago. This red thing attached to the shell seems to be detached from the duckling. No movement can be seen in the egg.

 

[Hamudazahabi]

Yea it probably was already dead. Might be something wrong with your incubator or something

But then wouldn't it harden by today since It's been outside the egg for a whole day?

By the way: I was able to first see veins and a heart in the egg, in a shape that looks like a spiderweb on day 4. It was growing rapidly but then I don't know what happened.

 

[SilverBirds]

I thought maybe it is still as if it was inside the egg shell were it won't be breathing since it didn't internally pip yet.

Even though it didn't internally pip it would have started breathing and moving as soon as it came in contact with the outside air.

I also thought it's dead but it's been a whole day and the body didn't harden and didn't get a bad smell.

It can take a while before it starts to smell. the body in the picture looks pretty stiff, especially looking at the feet. The body may remain soft if it is wet.

One of its feet is kind of sticking to its yolk sac (with albumen) and so I don't think I could make it stand easily. I set the temperature to be 37.5°c the whole time and the humidity was usually 56 more or less and I increased it manually (I made the incubator) by adding a water box to the container, which increased the humidity to 79 more or less.

Did you have a separate calibrated thermometer/hygrometer? It's possible your readings were off which could have harmed your babies.

I don't know if it is breathing but it doesn't seem to be, and it is still soft until now, no bad smell whatsoever. Yesterday some blood came out of its bill but it wasn't so much. I don't think it will suddenly bleed if it was dead.

Blood coming out of the mouth is not normal, and it can happen when already dead.