How do I look after an early hatched duckling?

[callduckqueen]

Hi

I think I did a really stupid thing but I'm a novice. My call duck sucessfully hatched 3 eggs after a long 32 days! I could hear that a 4th egg was alive but no cracks were showing. On day 34 I decided to chip the egg and have a look. He had broken the inner membrane, there was a little blood, and I can still see his yolk sack on the stomach (im guessing this is the yolk sack). Now I feel I have rushed him and he isn't ready yet - but its day 34!

How do I make sure he is ok whilst he is still absorbing? There is only a bit of eggshell around his bottom end, the rest is exposed. I've taken him from the mother and put him with some wet tissue and a lamp on him. I don't have an incubator. He is quite vocal. Is he going to survive?

Thanks

 

[sourland]

Keep the duckling in a clean environment and keep the umbilical area moist (Neosporin might help). Hopefully all will absorb and no bacteria will enter the duckling's body. Good luck!

 

[jdywntr]

I had something similar happen about 1 week ago. Here is a link to that. https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=540541&p=3

Keep the humidity up, Leave it on papertowels or something clean and dry. Mine broke away from the shell and what I am assuming unabsorbed yolk about an hour later. He was very weak and slow for the first day. Because he was trying to get out for so long I gave him some food and water on the second day. I also put him on a towel as it looked like the papertowels were too slick and he couldn't get his footing. The next morning he was zipping around

Outside he went. He is 4 days younger and MUCH smaller than his siblings but keeps up like a champ. I was worried that mom wouldn't accept him but she heard him peeping and gathered him up.


Good luck with your baby.

Here he is when I put him out with them.