Help pls. Duck hatching

[HopMomma]

Looks much improved! Great nursing care. some of those first poops are quite interesting. Haha.
at this point I would probably discontinue the ointment and let the navel dry out. He should have closed it off on the inside by now so you should be good just to keep him on clean bedding. You can use paper towel on top of the towel if you want something easy to change out, and then change the main towel if it becomes excessively soiled. It’ll save you some laundry and won’t make a difference to the little one. Lol.

His legs/feet look like typical just hatched ducklings and should straighten out over the next few days, but watch him to make sure he doesn’t develop splay leg. Hobble him if necessary, but he’ll probably strengthen up on his own. that nubby shelf liner stuff is really nice for when you need a bit more traction so may be an idea if he’s having trouble keeping his legs under him too.

my little one that took forever to hatch was a problem child as well but he’s doing great now, so it’s definitely possible to nurse them through. He had issues after the bigger, older ones ran him over and needed to be in a separate brooder, too. And he had hobbles for a day or so.

You’re doing an excellent job, keep on keeping on and deal with issues as they arise.

Thank you so much. I really am trying. I did the sniff test on the other 2 in the Incubator and they smell fine but still no pip and cant spot movement either soooo?Let them be? Externally pip a tiny spot for them? I dont want to just throw them out if there is a possibility they could be alive and just turds running late!!!

 

[Trisseh]

Thank you so much. I really am trying. I did the sniff test on the other 2 in the Incubator and they smell fine but still no pip and cant spot movement either soooo?Let them be? Externally pip a tiny spot for them? I dont want to just throw them out if there is a possibility they could be alive and just turds running late!!!

No movement when candling? Any sign of internal pips? Clicking if you hold the egg up to your ear? Tapping back when you tap the shell? Peeping? They shouldn’t be that far behind everyone else unless you’ve got some serious hot/cold spots in the incubator, but it does happen. (Mine is terrible directly below the fan).

You’re on day 28 (end of?) today right?
you could leave them overnight, and recheck in the morning. if there’s no movement, no response to stimulation, you could start a small hole on the air cell end and assess. I’ve had a few where I start carefully opening them up and see movement against the membrane. In those cases I just up my humidity and put them back, taking note of the time so I can keep track. If you open one up a bit, and there’s no movement, you can moisten the membrane and assess for veins, etc. If the veins are gone, it’s not internally pipped, and it’s not moving, it’s dead, unfortunately.

 

[Trisseh]

Any updates?

 

[HopMomma]

Any updates?

Yes I had to end incubation on the 2 left in the incubator. the baby who needed help is great and eating on it's own. Walking much better and holds head up no problem. Tge 1st one is ornery as ever!!

 

[RavalliSurfer]

I've had to pip a lot of ducks.

First, they were incubated under a Silky, and chickens don't go swimming once in a while like a Momma duck, so that when she returns to sit on her clutch, the momma duck would hydrate them.

For the record ... my Silkies just took it upon themselves to gather duck eggs, rocks, occasionally a door knob ... anything sortta round ... and sit on it.

Duck eggs need external moisture or the chicks will be "sticky chicks" and have trouble pipping and hatching. Plus they will be weak and close to comatose once they start their pip.

I've helped them by slowly chipping away at the shell being very careful at both ends. I also put damp paper towels under the egg as I assist. You will eventually have to tear the placenta ... but do go slowly.

You've never seen a chick or duckling dragging it's placentas around ... have you?

I believe that once popping starts, hormones collapse the placentas ... but sticky chicks might just react differently.

Findings: they will be somewhat lethargic once they are out of the shell. Let them lie under a 75 Watt lamp for a while to help their pinfeathers dry. Watch the heat or you'll cook them.

I put 4 or 6 at a time inside a Tupperware high walled mixing bowl, on an old face cloth inside with them that's slightly damp. You'll enjoy seeing them jump straight up like a pogo stick, to get out of the bowl.

They do! They jump straight up! Amazing.

I tend to bring the clutch into my bedroom, alongside my bed so when they DO pogo, I'll be there for them. I can always hear them running on my carpet and I wake up instantly. .

Anither amazingly interesting thing is ... every baby is folded and packed into their shells exactly the same way, in the same position!

The umbilical cord will instantly (look quickly) retract toward the baby, disappearing to where a navel might be, but I've never found it again ... kinda like a tape measure flying back into the housing.

Do not let any un-mother duck-hatched babies go swimming!

They don't float!​

They will drown since, without a mother duck over them, they don't get oil on them to keep dry.​

They will absorb water and go to the bottom ... so be careful.​

Tiny little lifejackets don't exist ... I know of what I'm saying here.​

I always thought that the first moving thing ducklings saw after hatching, automatically became "Mommy" and they would follow and obey it ...... walking in cute lines and quacking.
Not so!
I was the first thing they saw and once they stood up, they never looked at me again! <sniff>

 

[HopMomma]

Here is baby that needed alot of help to hatch/survive. Doing great now.

 

[Momma hen quack]

Yeah!! So, glad it all turned out with this baby duck. Sorry, I had some human problems so I haven't been on backyard chickens in a while. Glad someone else continued to help you out!!

 

[graypes]

Here is baby that needed alot of help to hatch/survive. Doing great now.

um that is the cutest duckling I have ever seen! They look like they're wearing tiny little leggings!!!!