Help with currently hatching duckling.

[New duck mommy 2021]

I did put coconut oil on the umbilical area and what's left of the yolk/ membrane. I pulled all of it out of the egg so she'd have it and it's either been absorbed or turned to dust. There was NOT a true yolk sac with her, just some yellowish membrane and then the clearish egg membrane, but not knowing, what I was looking at, I took it all. She's sleeping and peeps off and on. Her little head and body look so small compared to the two that were killed, so I'm wondering, hoping she'll be ok. Her fluff is dry , she just looks so tiny. I know you all can't say for sure but have you seen this before?

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[Kelster65]

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I edited and re-attached.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I did put coconut oil on the umbilical area and what's left of the yolk/ membrane. I pulled all of it out of the egg so she'd have it and it's either been absorbed or turned to dust. There was NOT a true yolk sac with her, just some yellowish membrane and then the clearish egg membrane, but not knowing, what I was looking at, I took it all. She's sleeping and peeps off and on. Her little head and body look so small compared to the two that were killed, so I'm wondering, hoping she'll be ok. Her fluff is dry , she just looks so tiny. I know you all can't say for sure but have you seen this before?View attachment 3547546

That’s just the end
She is almost finished now
Her belly will be swollen for a little bit as it finishes
That cord will dry and fall off
Keep her warm amc after the belly swelling goes down she should start to perk up
Her belly looks good though just as it should

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

@Kelster65
Any update on baby ? Is she up and alert yet ?

 

[Kelster65]

No, unfortunately she passed last night. I know I probably could have done things differently, so I'm trying to learn from this. There was another duckling in this clutch that failed to thrive after hatching also and I'm wondering what causes that. It looked small, but they do when they're wet. The baby I found dead out of the shell still had a small marble size yolk sac attached. This baby had yellow yolky looking membrane. She also kept throwing her head so I was thinking she was positioned wrong in the egg. Did I kill her by assisting her out of the egg, were both of these babies born too early? Lots of questions. I used to be a farmer and understand we don't always get answers, but I look for them so I can be a better guardian. If a problem exists in my flock also I want to take necessary steps to fix it or cull out issues. I've attached photos of the dead duckling (sorry). Her head looks thinner than the chick's that were living and thriving before my drake got into the nursery. I didn't see them fresh out of the shell, but did once they were dry and they seemed like they had larger fluffier heads. Thank you in advance.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

No, unfortunately she passed last night. I know I probably could have done things differently, so I'm trying to learn from this. There was another duckling in this clutch that failed to thrive after hatching also and I'm wondering what causes that. It looked small, but they do when they're wet. The baby I found dead out of the shell still had a small marble size yolk sac attached. This baby had yellow yolky looking membrane. She also kept throwing her head so I was thinking she was positioned wrong in the egg. Did I kill her by assisting her out of the egg, were both of these babies born too early? Lots of questions. I used to be a farmer and understand we don't always get answers, but I look for them so I can be a better guardian. If a problem exists in my flock also I want to take necessary steps to fix it or cull out issues. I've attached photos of the dead duckling (sorry). Her head looks thinner than the chick's that were living and thriving before my drake got into the nursery. I didn't see them fresh out of the shell, but did once they were dry and they seemed like they had larger fluffier heads. Thank you in advance.

It’s really hard to say
Assisting can be tricky and when taken out to early can be fatal
My first ever hatch I assisted to soon and lost her but since then had over 60 babies from that same mom and dad be healthy strong birds
Some I kept others I have sold
Sometimes we get a few that just aren’t strong and pass
Doesn’t mean there is an issue from parents but genetics could also play a roll
So many what ifs

What do you feed your flock ? Do you give extra niacin like nutritional yeast sprinkled on feed? Do you ducks forge in grass ?
Does your flock overall seem healthy ?
Sometimes if a mom is low on vitamins the yolk will be as well and this can lead to embryos having low vitamins at birth

To me the baby looked normal
Sorry you have had such heartbreak this round
We never know how a drake will act
My mom duck decided to break out of her area yesterday when I had one drake inside for a bumble foot issue. She brought the babies out into the pen
Luckily he is a chill drake and was great with them
I’m not sure how my other 2 drakes would act

 

[Kelster65]

Thank you so much. This is the first clutch I've hatched naturally, which was done by mistake. I went on vacation, my caretakers didn't collect eggs and I came home to nearly 30 eggs and one duck sitting. I removed about half but her sister started laying next to her and sitting as well so it got complicated. There were a LOT of contributing factors to this situation. Puddleton is a great, but very "passionate" drake so I'm not sure if he got into the nursery with intention to mate or what. I have 2 three week old ducklings that were hatched out and raised by a broody chicken and she's an incredible mom. Perhaps Puddleton hasn't bothered them because momma chicken means business. He's never given the chickens an amorous glance - he's got his own harem. He's been an incredible dad while the girls sat on the eggs, he's turned them, inspected them, taken off dead eggs, made the girls get up to eat, pretty attentive, so it's hard to say.

I feed Naturewise by Nutrena and add in my own herbal mix and brewers yeast. They don't free range because it's not safe but they get fresh grass and greens, veggies, fruits and have 6 grazing boxes filled with lentils, clover and oat grass. They live in my 10x14 shed and the run is 20'x35'. They're pretty spoiled and I'd say very healthy. This is the first time they've sat on a nest and I'm sure with all that happened along the way it had an impact.

 

[Kelster65]

As another follow up, when I thought this baby would hatch, be alone and imprint on me, the mother ducks returned to the nest 10 hours later, absolutely frantic because I had removed the dead babies and remaining eggs (either quitters or too far behind the others). I felt awful for everyone involved and wanted the baby to have a social network and the hard working moms to have babies so I ran out to tsc and got some Pekin ducklings. I know..quarantine and ask that got sidestepped but I would not have even ideally bought them. The mommas accepted them right away, they all seem very happy, healthy and well taken care of. I've got cameras on them 24/7 and did put a top over the brooder. Thank you all.