HELP! Is this duckling dead?

[PearlTheDuck]

My duck Millie went broody and I’ve had the absolute worst luck, around 30 eggs have either died or broke, there was one left and it internally pipped this morning, I could hear it scraping around inside, it has been 9 hours and after nothing else has happened I candled it, I don’t see any movement but a little bit of liquid moving in side if I turn the egg, I can see the body but like I said, no movement that I can see. Is it dead or just absorbing the yolk?

 

[gimmie birdies]

Sometimes they get quiet before a hatch, I had a friend who was waiting for a hen to hatch eggs, she gave up and thought they were not doing anything, so she tossed them in her compost grinder then heard peeping, you are doing good though in your thought they may be absorbing yolk, if they have not pipped the yolk is not absorbed, also, they absorb up to 24 hrs after the first pip,

 

[featherhead007]

Maybe she's just too pooped to pip?

 

[PearlTheDuck]

Sometimes they get quiet before a hatch, I had a friend who was waiting for a hen to hatch eggs, she gave up and thought they were not doing anything, so she tossed them in her compost grinder then heard peeping, you are doing good though in your thought they may be absorbing yolk, if they have not pipped the yolk is not absorbed, also, they absorb up to 24 hrs after the first pip,

The duckling has not put any crack in the eggshell but the air sack is broke through in the egg, which I realized 9 hours ago, should it have already absorbed it before the break through the air sack?

 

[shawluvsbirds]

The duckling has not put any crack in the eggshell but the air sack is broke through in the egg, which I realized 9 hours ago, should it have already absorbed it before the break through the air sack?

It's my understanding that they don't start absorbing the yolk until they make that internal pip. That's when they start breathing air, and it can still take 24 hours or more before they actually start to pip the outside of the shell.

 

[PearlTheDuck]

It's my understanding that they don't start absorbing the yolk until they make that internal pip. That's when they start breathing air, and it can still take 24 hours or more before they actually start to pip the outside of the shell.

When I candled it at dark and I could see better, absolutely no movement or sound but a decent amount of liquid that moves around when I turn the egg. Should it be making peeping noises? Is it just resting?

 

[shawluvsbirds]

When I candled it at dark and I could see better, absolutely no movement or sound but a decent amount of liquid that moves around when I turn the egg. Should it be making peeping noises? Is it just resting?

If it had in fact internally pipped, then you should be able to see the shadow of the bill in the air cell when your candleing. Where are you seeing liquid? In the air cell? That wouldn't be a good thing.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you.
Sometimes they do take long rests after internal pip but you should be able to gently tap the shell while candleing and get it to move a bit Or hear a chirp from it if it has pipped into the air cell.

 

[PearlTheDuck]

Sorry it took me so long to get back to you.
Sometimes they do take long rests after internal pip but you should be able to gently tap the shell while candleing and get it to move a bit Or hear a chirp from it if it has pipped into the air cell.

I havnt tapped it but when I’ve turned the egg a bit it hasn’t moved

 

[PearlTheDuck]

If it had in fact internally pipped, then you should be able to see the shadow of the bill in the air cell when your candleing. Where are you seeing liquid? In the air cell? That wouldn't be a good thing.

The side of the egg is all liquid and everything moves around when I turn the egg, and around the bottom of the egg (where the air cell is) it is reddish when I candle it. I think it died and the air cell might of been deformed