I’m a mess and need help as this is my first time hatching eggs naturally

[Trishreyhui]

Omg guys I need help with my ducks! I’m in a panic! Mama duck has been sitting on her first (our first) clutch, today is day 29. I heard the baby peeping this morning, external pip was yesterday! Today I’ve been out to check multiple times and nothing. Just went out (was literally out there 20 mins ago) and found the baby and egg shell pretty far from the mama in the igloo. I attached a picture mama is in the igloo sitting on the rest of the eggs, the red circle is where I found baby, black circle is the egg shell. My question is is how in the heck did the egg and baby get 5-6ft from its mama? I cut off access to mama last week there is no way my other ducks or chickens can get in there Also attached a picture of baby, I grabbed it and ran it to my brooder cause I’m afraid mama kicked it out and don’t want her to hurt it. I have 3 more eggs with external pips, 1 of the 3 looks like it’s in the process of zipping. Another baby is in the process of it’s external pip. I bought and incubator last week just in case but I haven’t even tried it out. If mama did kick baby out what do I do to save the babies? I have never ever before even seen an egg hatch so I’m completely lost as to what to do! The baby is breathing and peeping a tad keeps trying to wobble it’s head around but very sluggish. Is this normal? Thank you guys soo much and I’m sorry for the frantic thread

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I don't know why you are freaking out. A hen knows more innately about incubating and hatching than you could learn in a lifetime.
A hands off approach is the best way to go about it. They've been doing this for hundreds of thousands of years with no human intervention.

 

[Trishreyhui]

I don't know why you are freaking out. A hen knows more innately about incubating and hatching than you could learn in a lifetime.
A hands off approach is the best way to go about it. They've been doing this for hundreds of thousands of years with no human intervention.

So it’s normal for them to kick their hatching egg out of the nest?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

The baby may have just wandered away blindly. Mama won't leave the nest to go and gather him if he stumbles away

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I don't know how normal but it definitely happens.
If a hen decides to take on the incubation job, I wash my hands of the process. After the hatch, I count chicks. I don't take any action till then.
But that's just me. I know a lot of people who are hands on all the way through. I think that disruption can cause problems.

 

[Trishreyhui]

The baby may have just wandered away blindly. Mama won't leave the nest to go and gather him if he stumbles away

Do they wonder away with the egg still attached?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

They can. Sometimes the shell is still attached to the umbilical cord

 

[Trishreyhui]

I don't know how normal but it definitely happens.
If a hen decides to take on the incubation job, I wash my hands of the process. After the hatch, I count chicks. I don't take any action till then.
But that's just me. I know a lot of people who are hands on all the way through. I think that disruption can cause problems.

I wonder if that was it. I only checked eggs while she was off doing her business, but I’m sure she could tell

 

[Trishreyhui]

They can. Sometimes the shell is still attached to the umbilical cord

Okay then that makes sense. Sorry I don’t mean to sound rude. Just trying to make sense of it all. I am a newbie for sure.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I don't assist hatching when it's natural, but I do candle and I do occasionally remove eggs I don't have hope for.