Help! Mom pecked baby as it was hatching

[pntdhorses]

I have 2 broody hens that I put Mandarin Duck eggs under. One hen is fine. One of the ducklings has already hatched. The other broody hen started freaking out the more the baby started hatching. She started pecking the duckling and now it’s little wing is bloody and I’m scared it’s gonna bleed to death. It’s still trying to hatch. What should I do?!! Try to assist it to get it out so I can try to stop the bleeding somehow? I can believe she did that. She has been sitting on the eggs for 29 days!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I wonder how you know she did that. Do you have a camera in the nest box or are you sitting in the coop watching all day?
I always ignore broody hens and let them do their job in peace. They innately know more about what they are doing than I ever will.
That egg should be under the hen and stay there till all is over.

 

[sumi]

Wet a piece of cottonwool with cold water and press gently on the injured area for a bit. That may help stop the bleeding. I'd let the little one complete the hatch in an incubator (have you got one?) and once it's hatched, recovered from the hatch etc, slip it under mom with the other duckling and see how they do.

Sometimes broodies lose their minds when hatch comes round. I've had broodies kill chicks, I had one abandon her chicks after a week. It happens.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well I had a Muscovy hen that attacked her duckling when he hatched an If I hadn’t intervened she may have killed him she attacked him around the head. Sometimes even the best broody can freak out once hatch begins especially first time mamas. Not sure if I’d help it out though it may not be ready to hatch do you have an incubator maybe try and clean the wing up if it’s bleeding a lot. With the way chicken are drawn to blood I don’t think I’d put the egg back under the hen. Follow Sumi advise!

 

[pntdhorses]

I wonder how you know she did that. Do you have a camera in the nest box or are you sitting in the coop watching all day?
I always ignore broody hens and let them do their job in peace. They innately know more about what they are doing than I ever will.
That egg should be under the hen and stay there till all is over.

I have been monitoring them since they started to pip. Baby was fine an hour ago. Checked in on her and she wasn’t even on the egg and was agitated and it is pretty obvious the wing has been pecked and the hatchling was wounded.

 

[Miss Lydia]

How’s the bleeding now?

 

[pntdhorses]

Wet a piece of cottonwool with cold water and press gently on the injured area for a bit. That may help stop the bleeding. I'd let the little one complete the hatch in an incubator (have you got one?) and once it's hatched, recovered from the hatch etc, slip it under mom with the other duckling and see how they do.

Sometimes broodies lose their minds when hatch comes round. I've had broodies kill chicks, I had one abandon her chicks after a week. It happens.

Thanks! Yes, she is a first time mom. I put the duckling in my incubator and put first time mom back in the chicken run. She will not be raising babies now. Hopefully this little one can hatch and it will go with the other hen who is doing a fine job being mom so far.

 

[sumi]

Please keep us posted!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes would love to see this little one when it hatches!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Thanks! Yes, she is a first time mom. I put the duckling in my incubator and put first time mom back in the chicken run. She will not be raising babies now. Hopefully this little one can hatch and it will go with the other hen who is doing a fine job being mom so far.

I'm glad you have an incubator.
If you just want to stop the bleeding, some vinegar or Listerine will disinfect and the latter will help with bleeding. Then sprinkle a little cornstarch on the wound or even sugar will work in a pinch.
I just become concerned when I see an egg hatching that isn't under a hen or in a humidified incubator. Many of my losses come when a bird gets shrink wrapped.
That's why I don't monitor at all. Maybe letting nature take its course. When I intervene or assist a hatch, it rarely results in a viable adult that goes on to parent vigorous embryos which hatch with no problems.
Survival of the fittest.