How long does it take to absorb the yolk sac? UPDATE: He Died.

[Smartie_Pants]

I have a momma duck who is setting on eggs. Yesterday, I went out to check her nest for bad eggs, and found that she had crushed a few of them. One had a chick in it, and he was still alive! He had pipped anyway, but the shell was missing all the way down one side and the membrane was glued to him. Her toenails had torn part of the membrane at the bottom, and you could see his leg and a little of the yolk sack. I didn't want her to hurt him, or to get any dirt or bacteria in on his yolk sac, so I brought him in and put him in the bator. He was pushing and kicking at the top part of the shell, so I gently peeled it off. There was no blood at all with the membrane or anything when I tested a small spot, so I peeled it off around his head. He kicked his upper body out, so that just his lower half was in the shell. This was about 3:00 yesterday afternoon.

He's been in there since then, and now I think we have a problem. The yolk sac is still out, no much, but its out. Well, I guess technically his vent is still out, because there is no "sac" still out, just the pink part of his vent. Its not bloody or dark or anything anymore either. That's not the problem. The problem is he is a strong little guy, and he's actually trying to crawl around! He's peeping, and when I opened it this morning to make sure it hadn't dried out, he crawled over to the side and was peeping at me and trying to come out into my hand!

Is that yolk sac/vent going to finish going all the way in? It likes very little, and I wish it would go in already! I don't want him to hurt it crawling around in there!


(PS, please don't post any rude or harsh comments about helping with the hatch. To each their own, but people are different.)

 

[CorralitosSunflower]

I would recommend wraping a warm moist towel around him (not his beak) to soften the membrane and protect the vent until it is able to close up. Than leave the bator alone so the humidity can reach a good level. If he is breathing ok he should be fine for awhile

If it has been 24 hrs and he is still not able to get out of the membrane than I would take clean, not sharp tweezers and gently unstick the membrane from him. If there is any blood STOP! He could bleed to death. Wrap him back up in the moist towel and wait several hours before proceeding. Glad you checked the nest!!!! Good luck!

 

[Smartie_Pants]

He's been in a damp towl in there, and he almost has it all the way in! Just a tiny bit more! I really worried about taking him out of the top half of the shell, but since there was no blood and the membrane had already become a nasty gel, I figured it couldn't hurt. I think he's going to be just fine. He's cute too!

Too bad he won't have any brothers and sisters. One other would have hatched, but she crushed it during the night and I didn't find it until this morning. By that time he was dead.

 

[imfowl]

Try to keep the humidity as high as possible. You don't want it to dry out and rupture. It should be absorbed in 3 days.

 

[CorralitosSunflower]

That is really sad about the other babies. I am so sorry. Sounds very promising for him though, you will have to name him lucky or something of the sort

I would look into adding oyster shell or another strengthener to your mamas feed, sounds strange that she was able to crush all the eggs. Thin shells is the only reason I could think of other than deliberately doing it, but that doesn't make sense for her to do it this late into the game. Keep me posted!

 

[Smartie_Pants]

The shells were pretty thick, and I've offered oyster shell many times before and no one would touch it. At one point a few of my chickens eggs had such thin shells that they would break when you picked them up, and they still wouldn't touch it! Do I need to mix it with something else or crush it up a little more? How do I get them to eat it?

 

[CorralitosSunflower]

Yes definately crush the oyster shells. Try and get it to a very fine powder and than mix it with something they really like to eat. I have found that hardboiled egg works well. I chop it up and add the powder in, you can also add the powder to their water and they will get some that way.

 

[Smartie_Pants]

He absorbed everything on his own a couple hours after my first post, and he completly disconnected himself from the shell. The only thing left is for it to turn all the way in. It was looking a little dry, so I put more water in the bator to up the humidity.

 

[Smartie_Pants]

He did it! He finished last night and I took him out about 8:00. He's fluffed up now and doing fine. Here's a before and after pic:

 

[DuckLady]

Adorable!

Great job in caring for him at that critical time!