How long do I wait

[Poultry mum]

Hatching some duck eggs… piped 24hrs ago (minimum) how long do I wait before I help out?
I’ve had major issues this season with shrink wrapping and had to help 90% of my chicks these are the 1st ducklings for the season…
At what point do I step in? Thanks

 

[Poultry mum]

Update:
She’s passed

 

[Poultry mum]

UPDATE:
After talking to a close friend from my poultry club she put me in contact with someone who’s been breeding ducks and chickens for close to 50yrs … I showed photos and explained what I’m seeing and what’s happening and I’ve had to do an emergency assist In order to save babies life… “she“ is now completely out of the egg yolk still attached and in tact is breathing peeping and slowly absorbing the yolk… somehow I ended up with a malpositioned duckling and yolk sac… and a bacterial infection inside the egg…. She’s currently in an “ICU BED” In the incubator (one of my small tuppaware containers with paper towel under her)
the other duckling has been partially assisted with slight evidence of the same bacterial infection in the egg and was also malpositioned ”he” is doing good and is absorbing the yolk nicely. As he is a lot stronger than the other duckling I’ve only assisted so when he’s ready he can just push himself out of the egg… he’s also been placed on paper towel freely in the incubator to finish doing his thing.
thanks everyone for your help and advice…
just so you know the breeds are pure pekin (non ICU baby) and
Cayuga x Pekin ( ICU baby) I will send photos as soon as I know babies are healthy and strong…

 

[Poultry mum]

can you describe the situation which led her to believe its a bacteria infection inside the egg? And what the ICU bed consists of?

There was yellow/green goop inside the egg…as I mentioned a number of times as it slowly started getting worse in my other posts
And if you read I said the ICU BED is one of my old Tupperware (one of the kids old sandwich boxes) containers and on the bottom of it I’ve put paper towel … I’ll attach a photo of her the way she is I took this photo to show the person who talked me through it (they have nearly 50yrs experience)
She is still breathing and is still trying to absorb the yolk…

The non ICU baby hatched by itself and is currently in the brooder resting up..

 

[Poultry mum]

What a sweet little baby! Sorry I missed that about the tupperware container. Usually when a duckling, or chick, hatches (either assisted or otherwise) prematurely with the yolk- its reccomended to put them in a cup wrapped slightly and cushioned by dry paper towels. It helps to prevent them from eventually standing/stumbling about, potentially rupturing or dragging the yolk, and works kind of as an egg would. But she may be okay like this, she's quite premature, isnt going to be tumbling about yet.
To be honest, I'm not convinced that this egg was infected by bacteria-- the green goo does sound a little strange- but its possible this could have been faeces, or other hatching debris. I found green goo in one of my duckling's shells. If it wasnt harmful bacteria, being outside of the egg leaves her open to bacteria even more so, and it's possible for the yolk to become infected.

But those are just my thoughts, Im not nearly as experienced as your friend, though. So good luck anyway, Hopefully this baby absorbs and makes it through okay!! Be sure to keep us updated

Thanks.. and sorry if I was a little abrupt before…
Believe it or not she wasn’t premature… 28 days.. maybe 27 days if anything eggs were set on the 10/29 and I pulled her out yesterday being 11/25 she piped somewhere between late Wednesday 11/23 and early Thursday 11/24 … she’s still laying in her container doing her thing .. I know this is going to take sometime and she may not make it … but for now I’ve given her the best chance… she’s currently called “rarity”

Here’s a photo of the one that hatched on its own (with a small amount of assistance) currently has no name but my daughter wants to call him Saturn lol
I’m not worried about the chicks with him atm they’re jap bantams so in a week or two he (or they) will need to be moved.. depending on how fast he grows
They just don’t like the fact someone is in there “crib” lol

 

[Poultry mum]

I’ve also got the pure pekin who is now officially over 24hrs old… I’m currently calling him/her baby it seems to like that name…

I’ve still got one who is hatching… but I’m in no rush to assist anymore than I already have… it will either hatch completely on its own or not either way what ever happens.. happens

 

[Poultry mum]

My first hatch this year (and it was with a broody, too) was awful, all but two died. I have no idea why, as the same hen has just hatched ten babies this time. So sometimes it just doesn't work out never mind how much one would like it too. And even the hens don't always get it right!

Thanks I know… I’ve just lost my other Cayuga x pekin duckling about 20mins ago… I’ve decided that my hatching incubator is going in the bin… and my incubation incubator is going on gumtree… time I let the girls do what they’re supposed to do… sit on eggs and hatch babies… if it doesn’t work then I know it’s just natures way of saying “nope those genes are not a good mix”
I’ve currently got my pekin x silkie girl sitting on 6 mixed lot eggs in one of my spare rooster/show transport boxes with food and water and wood shavings in my room where I can keep her and eggs/babies safe until they hatch then babies will be slowly taken away one by one and placed in my brooder tank until she has none left and will be places back outside… I’m currently removing her from the eggs once a day for about 2-3mins for her to poop on some paper towel and then placing her back into the box… she’s happy I’m happy and everyone is happy… I think for now this is the best option… go back to basics… everything happens for a reason

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

It is what it is… she did will to last as long as she did.. she ruptured her sac twice and then in the end the sac got infected… this is the horrible part to being a chicken/duck

Thanks I know… I’ve just lost my other Cayuga x pekin duckling about 20mins ago… I’ve decided that my hatching incubator is going in the bin… and my incubation incubator is going on gumtree… time I let the girls do what they’re supposed to do… sit on eggs and hatch babies… if it doesn’t work then I know it’s just natures way of saying “nope those genes are not a good mix”
I’ve currently got my pekin x silkie girl sitting on 6 mixed lot eggs in one of my spare rooster/show transport boxes with food and water and wood shavings in my room where I can keep her and eggs/babies safe until they hatch then babies will be slowly taken away one by one and placed in my brooder tank until she has none left and will be places back outside… I’m currently removing her from the eggs once a day for about 2-3mins for her to poop on some paper towel and then placing her back into the box… she’s happy I’m happy and everyone is happy… I think for now this is the best option… go back to basics… everything happens for a reason

It’s hard to know how and when to assist them
I learned a lot my first batch and had a member on here helping me after I lost the first one helping to much to soon
Now if they do need assistance I’m very confident and don’t loose them
Patience is what I learned
Once they have a beak by the hole to breath they really need ti be left alone to absorb 24-48 hours after external pip
The more we open the egg the greater the risk to the baby while absorbing
When babies hatch themselves they make a small crack externally then 8-12 hours later another small crack close or beside the first one.
Then nothing till they are ready to start zipping. This keeps them safe from Bactria and air getting to the yolk
When we help we make a hole and that allows stuff into the egg
I try to do as little as possible for a good 24 hours after external pip
My fingers are crossed for your next hatch
With the Brody mom she can come off longer then 2-3 mins
My duck would be off 10-15 mins at a time and she would jump in the kid pool and wet her tummy
Eat. Drink . Poo and preen
But my duck had a blocked off area with access to her feed and water 24/7 and twice a day I would open the gate and she would run out to the kid pool
With that being said here is another question about your incubation
We’re you taking the eggs out once a day for 5-10 mins to cool to room temp and spritzing them lightly with water ? I start this day 10 till lockdown as this helps to soften then shell for hatch. It also mimics mom getting wet and laying back on her eggs
I have very high hatch rates and only use a little giant incubator nothing expensive or fancy but follow a certain way and it’s been very good including many 100 % hatches even with 2 schools using my set up and my way of incubating with zero experience in hatching anything they got 100 % hatches
I also hand turn my eggs 3-5 times per day and candle everyday
I’m very hands on with my eggs during incubation
I also follow the babies not the rule of day 25 if lockdown needs to start a day early or a day late then I go with baby
Shadowing , rocking egg , air cell drop all tell me stop turning and leave the egg alone
Hope these tips help you for next time

 

[BelovedBirds]

Thanks I’ve never had an issue with hatching and loosing before last season all up I managed 3 ducklings… I think I’m all honesty it’s the genes and the cheap incubators that I use… I’ll see how things go with hatching the natural way.

In saying that I don’t really try hatching ducklings as I tend to want to keep them more than chicks which seem to sell rather quickly… which is what I try to focus my hatching attention on…

thats fair, the losses are hard and they can be really discouraging. I personally think doing it the natural way is better, but I guess its down to personal preference.
But this duckling in particular seemed to pass away for other reasons (bacteria and rupturing her yolk sac). That isn't something that the incubator can be blamed for. Im all for assisting hatches, but I do disagree with the advice that your friend gave. No disrespect.
Ducklings take a long time to hatch.

 

[Poultry mum]

Are you talking about internal pip ? External pip ? Or external missing the air cell ? Each one has different times
If I haven’t seen an external by 24 hours after internal I make a small safety hole nothing to big
95% of the time they still make their own external after that but it gives me piece of mind
The other 5% I end up having to help further later on
If it’s external after an internal I wait 24 hours unless I see baby making a big hole but not going around
At that time I may make the original hole a little bigger but almost every time they do something before that 24 hours
If it’s external and missing the internal I don’t worry for 48 hours minimum as we have to add the 24 hour internal to the external
Hope this helps

This is what I’m talking about this is the little one I’m quite concerned about…
He/she has been like this for 31hrs yolk doesn’t appear to be getting smaller.. there’s a green goo like stuff under the membrane and the membrane it’s self is a brownish colour